


Tailspin

by 18lzytwner



Series: Law & Order SVU Fourth Series [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:47:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 27,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22590484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Set at the end of "Smoked".  How the episode ends has changed.  What comes next is proves to be a rough road for the unit.  Can they moved past what happened?  Can the unit stay a unit or will emotions get the best of everyone as they try to work their next case?  First of 4th series.  EO
Relationships: Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler
Series: Law & Order SVU Fourth Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625464
Comments: 25
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

In that instant everything was over. What had happened in the previous moments seemed to have taken forever but in reality only a matter of moments. People were shouting for medics and trying to save the wounded, except for Olivia. She stood there, her gun only half raised from where it had been at shoulder height only seconds before.

Elliot wanted to break her from her frozen state but his hands were on Sister Peg, trying to keep her alive until the paramedics arrived. The nun had arrived to help them out as she had done so many times before and this time everything had fallen into complete chaos. Elliot had quickly kneeled down to render first air and now he could see the blood covering his hands, his shirt, and his pants. He was losing her.

"Hang in there Sister Peg," he said. She tried to mouth something but no words came.

"Save your strength," Elliot urged. There was no strength left to save however and he felt her take her last breath. Automatically he went to try CPR but that's when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"She's gone," it was the Captain. Elliot shook his head and that when he saw the pool of blood. There was nothing more he could do.

"What the hell happened?" He asked, from his spot on the floor.

"Jenna. Somehow she got a gun. Ronson and Greer are dead," Cragen shook his head.

"And Jenna?" Elliot wanted to know. Cragen shook his head. Olivia's aim had been true and the teenager, whose life had turned completely upside down, was now over.

"Forensics is on their way over. You're going to need to give a statement. Stay here and I'll look after your partner," the Captain told him.  
"Cap…"

"No. She's already going to have IAB breathing down her neck. We're doing this by the book," Cragen put his foot down. It wasn't that they strayed from the rules as of late but there would be too many questions. How'd Jenna bring a gun into the precinct? Where'd she get the gun? There was not one registered to anyone she knew. Three people and the shooter were dead, and only one officer had managed to get a shot off, Olivia.

Elliot looked over at his partner as the Captain took the gun from her and moved her into his office. Melinda would be here soon. Only minor injuries for most in the room and the paramedics weren't even taking anyone with them.

"Detective are you hurt?" One of the paramedics asked.

"No. It's her blood," Elliot pointed to Sister Peg as he moved from his kneeling position and onto his backside. He did not rise up from the floor. The other paramedic with the man who spoke up checked Sister Peg. It was a formality, they all knew it, but it needed to be done.

"I'm going to check your vitals and ask you some questions ok?" The first paramedic spoke up. Elliot only nodded and went through the motions. He behaved the same way when the forensics team arrived. They had him strip his clothes off in the locker room and they took them into evidence. They handed him a jumpsuit to put on, which he did, just long enough to go into his locker, grab what he needed, and then head for the showers. The blood that had soaked through his clothes and onto his skin, washed away but he didn't feel clean at the end of the shower.

Walking out into the bullpen, he saw Tucker and his goon squad heading toward the Captain's office but they stopped short, quickly splitting up to get everyone's statement. Tucker motioned to the interrogation room and Elliot followed him inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone was being interviewed by Tucker's detectives. There were a lot of people to talk to and Olivia and the Captain were quickly separated so they couldn't confer and get their stories straight. Cragen was being grilled while Olivia sat in his office waiting. Tucker had instructed his investigators to leave her for him. They had a rapport and he told them that hopefully that meant he'd get to the truth faster.

While all of that was going on, Tucker started asking his questions to Elliot. The detective recounted everything he could remember. Surprisingly, the IAB Sergeant didn't fight him much but he did make sure to give Elliot a proper grilling. Finally, Tucker was done, and he turned off the recording device. He had a look on his face that made Elliot wondered where his brain was at. Heaving a sigh, he looked at the Sergeant and asked,

"What are you thinking?"

"That shit is hitting the fan and your partner is in the middle of it," Tucker admitted.

"You have to know that she would not have done it if there had been any other way," Elliot said.

"Benson is the best victims' advocates in this entire precinct. Hell, probably the NYPD. I know that she wouldn't do this if there was any other way but that isn't going to matter to the top brass. A teenage girl managed to get a gun into the precinct and kill three people – one of them a federal agent, even if he was disgraced. Only Olivia was together enough to draw and fire her weapon. There will be questions as to why that is. There will also be questions as to why she hit poor Jenna in a lethal area. No attempt to take her out at the knees or the shoulder – almost dead center mass," Tucker pointed out.

"So instead of trying to end the situation, you think she should have tried to knock her down? I mean any other perp and no one would be questioning what Liv did," Elliot gave him a look, his blood was starting to boil.

"Yes but this situation is different. The NYPD failed to protect her mother. The NYPD failed to notice that Jenna walked into a precinct with a loaded gun. Then the NYPD put her down like an animal. No matter what way you slice it, someone is going to have to pay. The public will be up in arms and the brass will be more than happy to silence this as quickly as possible," the Sergeant said.

"Sweep it under the rug and hope it goes away," Elliot couldn't believe what he was hearing. Tucker nodded before saying,

"Underneath all of that though is a bigger problem. Why didn't Olivia notice that something was up? You said that she spoke to Jenna just before things went to hell in a handbasket. She might not have known that Jenna had a gun, but her behavior had to be off. Teenagers may be rash, but some thought had to go into this. Jenna had to be nervous. She was walking into a precinct, full of cops, who have guns, with a singular focus. Kill the man responsible for her mother's death, consequences be damned. Jenna was suicidal. You said yourself, Olivia and a host of others, yourself included, demanded she drop the gun. She didn't listen."

"She held onto the gun and Liv had to shoot her before she shot someone else," Elliot said.

"Did she? Her original target was dead as were some others. Jenna didn't continue to spray bullets. She was standing there, you said so," Tucker pointed out.

"What are you getting at Ed?" The detective was beginning to see how bad this could be.

"I'll do all I can for Liv but you need to be prepared for what could be coming next," the IAB Sergeant heaved a sigh.

"You think they're going to end her career," Elliot swallowed.

"She may not be the only one. When it comes down to it, your Captain runs the precinct. He's in charge of the bozos that didn't pat Jenna down before she walked into the squad room," Tucker frowned.


	3. Chapter 3

They had taken her badge. They had taken both her duty weapon and her off-duty weapon. Tucker had tried to be reassuring but somehow, she just wasn't reassured, especially when she was placed on leave with pay. Driven home by a patrol officer, Olivia entered her apartment and collapsed on the couch.

Her stomach was in knots. Jenna was dead **.** Ronson and Greer were dead but somehow, she didn't care. They were two pieces of scum who got the real justice they deserved. Sister Peg – the thought of the helpful nun losing her life, when all she was trying to do was help – that made her stomach turn. A true innocent in the whole affair and she unable to be saved. Jenna had been that innocent, right up until she'd decided to bring that gun into the precinct. The teenager's life had been ruined the minute that Luke Ronson had decided to assault her mother Annette. And now maybe her life was ruined too.

There was a knock on the door and she heaved a sigh. She wasn't in the mood for company. She made the large effort to get herself off the couch and headed for the door. Checking the peep hole, a huff, and she opened the door.

"Shouldn't you be home? Isn't there a toddler waiting for you?" She asked.

"Eli is already in bed. I'm more worried about you," Elliot said. His partner hadn't let him in yet and he wondered if he should press to come in.

"What's there to worry about? I killed a teenage victim and now they've taken my badge," Olivia still did not invite him in.

"Can I come in?" he wanted to know. Olivia huffed but moved out of the way. She headed back to the couch, leaving him to close and lock the door. Elliot slipped his shoes off and made sure the door was locked.

"So did Mrs. Bernhardt let you in again, thinking it was the pizza boy?" Olivia wondered. Her elderly neighbor down the hall had a tendency to let people in through the buzzer system for the front door, always thinking there was a delivery for her. Many tenants had complained and the landlord had threatened to take away her buzzer. Obviously, he hadn't followed through.

"Yeah. So Tucker took your badge?" Elliot tried to turn the conversation as to why he was there. He gently lowered himself onto the couch next to her.

"Yup and my guns. I'm on leave with pay until he's done with his investigation. We all know where this is going. He's just delaying the inevitable," she said.

"You had no choice. She killed three people and wouldn't put the gun down," he said.

"Yeah and somehow I didn't notice that something was wrong. How could I not? Why did I not see that she was off? I mean how could she not be after everything that's happened?" Olivia shook her head.

"That's my point. The girl had lost her mother, right in front of her. She wasn't going to be ok and if she was, we'd be concerned. I don't see how you could have noticed. Certainly, no way that you could have known she had a gun," Elliot said.

"How the hell did she get a gun into the precinct anyway?" his partner wanted to know.

"My guess is that they knew she was a victim's daughter and just had her go around the metal detectors. I hate to admit it but Jenna's position made her uniquely able to bypass everything in her way. We've got a bigger problem. Tucker said that even if he can make an argument for everything that happened. He's not sure he can figure out a way around how you shot her," he figured the truth should come out now.

"You mean how I shot her near center mass instead of taking her out at the knees? I've been wondering about that too," she admitted. The truth of the matter was, she didn't wonder. Her eyes had gone toward her partner as he tried to save Sister Peg. She's seen what happened and just squeezed the trigger. There was no way she could ever tell him that though. He was married. Eli was turning four later that year. It was obvious that her feelings were not reciprocated. She had no idea why she was hanging onto these feelings – she would never act on them. She would never be that woman.

Elliot could tell that she'd gone into herself. He wondered what was going on in her head, but he didn't push it. It had been a very hard day and there were going to be trying days ahead. It wasn't the time to tell her that his marriage was falling apart, just like before. Eli had been a band aid of sorts, which he hated to say. He loved the little boy, he always would, loving Kathy on the other hand, well that just wasn't to be. They were back to arguing and purposely avoiding each other. Kathy put up no fight when he said he had to check on his partner. The last thing that Olivia needed was him confessing his feelings now though. Her job was more important than his feelings.


	4. Chapter 4

"So how long do we need to be here?" Elliot asked as he plopped down in a chair in front of an empty desk. It had been two days since the incident and the unit had been relocated to an unused bullpen on the floor above theirs. With Olivia still out, Kenny Briscoe was instructed to be Elliot's partner by the desk sergeant. No one had heard from Cragen since his interview with IAB.

"As long as it takes for CSU to get all the evidence and then for the crime scene cleaners to make sure it's sanitary," Munch said. The Sergeant was commanding the unit until the Captain returned.

"All of our stuff is in our desks and our computers. How are they expecting us to conduct business?" Fin wanted to know, picking his own temporary desk out.

"Memory I guess. I haven't heard of any new cases. I was just told to report up here and to spread the word per the Chief of D's," the Sergeant admitted, picking the desk across from Fin's.

"This is bad isn't it?" Kenny asked. He'd sat down on top of the desk next to Elliot's.

"It's bad," Elliot nodded.

"How's Liv holding up?" Fin gave the former Marine a look.

"About as well as you'd expect. Questioning her moves, questioning how she didn't notice that something was wrong, questioning everything," Elliot heaved a sigh.

"She saved a lot of lives by ending it. They should be glad they aren't planning a funeral for any officers in the room," Kenny frowned.

"Sister Peg was a hell of a price to pay. From a legal standpoint, she's the only true victim in the whole thing. Had Jenna survived, they would have thrown her in jail," Munch pointed out.

"Tucker says that the brass are looking for heads to roll. Jenna got a weapon past an entire precinct full of cops and then started shooting. Three people are dead because of her actions," Elliot admitted.

"Seriously? When was the last time anyone asked a victim to go through a pat down? I would have thought she would have had to go through the metal detector, I'll admit, but the last thing you want to do is give a rape victim a pat down," Fin was not happy.

"Shouldn't the desk sergeant be getting into trouble for that? I mean I don't wish anything on Martinez but he's the one who should have made sure that Jenna went through the detector," Munch said.

"She came through when Martinez was on break," Kenny revealed.

"So wasn't someone still supposed to be at the desk?" Elliot inquired.

"Technically yes but there was a commotion as some of the officers were bringing in a prisoner. The guy filling in jumped into help, leaving the desk unmanned…" Kenny started. He'd seen the footage from the security cameras near the door. TARU tech Rena Jones had let him look, even though she wasn't supposed to. The team knew he had a connection inside of TARU but never pressed him on it, especially when it helped them jump on a lead.

"Allowing Jenna to skate right through," Fin frowned.

"What is the likelihood of that happening?" Munch raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah slim to none…" Elliot shook his head before quickly pulling his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Who you calling?" Fin asked.

"Have to give this to Tucker. If Jenna had help…" Elliot said.

"Do it. If it'll help clear Liv and the Captain, do it," Munch nodded. Elliot waited for Tucker to pick up and then quickly relayed what they had just been discussing. While he was on the phone the Chief of Detectives, Robert Heath, walked into the bullpen.

"Chief!" Munch shot up out of his seat, which surprised everyone around him. Fin and Kenny quickly stood up and Elliot wasn't sure if he should finish his phone call. He looked at the new Chief of Detectives.

"At ease. I'm not looking to give anyone a heart attack. Finish your phone call. We'll wait," Heath said. Quickly, Elliot finished up with Tucker, who promised to keep him in the loop.

"Sorry about that Chief. IAB had a question," Elliot told him.

"I'm sure they have more than one," Heath nodded before turning his attention to everyone.

"I realize that this is going to be tough to do without your desks and computers but I received word that we have a case," the Chief said.

"Well we'll do what we can," Munch told him.

"Good to hear Sergeant. They say that they'll have everything back in ship shape downstairs in a couple more days," Heath promised.

"We just need an address," Fin smiled slightly.

"Well the victim just walked into the hospital so I'm not sure we have an actual crime scene as of yet. Here's what you need to know," Heath handed Munch a card and then headed back toward the elevator.

"All right, Elliot, Kenny, head to the hospital. Fin and I will wait for your call to see if we need to head out to a crime scene," the Sergeant ordered. Elliot nodded and grabbed his coat while Kenny did the same.


	5. Chapter 5

Elliot texted Olivia before climbing into the car but she didn't answer him on the drive over to the hospital. He grew concerned but there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment. Kenny hadn't said a word on the ride over and the elder detective wondered what was going through the younger detective's head.

The nurse at the desk directed them upstairs and they made their way up to the floor where the victim was being treated. The nurse at the desk stopped them from going to see the woman. Apparently, she'd had to be sedated and was not able to answer any questions. Elliot asked to talk to the doctor and the nurse paged him.

"Detectives, how can I help you?" Doctor Blumenthal asked after introductions were made at the nurses' desk.

"Well we were hoping to talk to the victim, but the nurse says they had to sedate her," Elliot said.

"The victim, Sarah Marvin, left us no choice. She authorized us to do the rape kit and then when the nurse came into the room, she panicked and tried to bolt. We couldn't let her go. She has a broken wrist and she's covered in bruises. We needed to make sure she wasn't internally bleeding," Blumenthal said.

"You think you'll have to perform the rape kit with her still knocked out?" Kenny asked.

"Right now, that's the only way I see it working but we'll need consent again. Not sure Sarah will give it to us when she wakes up," the doctor admitted.

"Have you ever seen a victim panic like that?" Elliot wondered.

"Well every victim is different but this one seemed freaked out by the tools. Sarah's old enough to have gone to her own OB/GYN and we explained what would happen, so I've called for a psych exam when she wakes up. In the meantime, we have her personal effects, so you can take a look at those," Blumenthal reached behind the desk and pulled out a bag. It contained a wallet, a phone (which looked like it had been dropped off a three-story building), a ripped purse, and the purse's contents.

"We better get these to the lab," Kenny said.

"Agreed but first we better call Munch and Fin. We have her address," Elliot told him.

"Yeah but with her not awake we can't get consent to search her place," the younger detective said.

"They'll need to call Cabot and see about getting a search warrant," the elder detective nodded. Kenny pulled out his phone and quickly called Munch to fill him in. Elliot took the time to call Olivia, who had still not answered his text message. He frowned when she didn't pick up. His worry was slowly turning to panic. Ordinarily, a missed text or phone call wouldn't be a disaster but there was a feeling in the pit of Elliot's stomach that he couldn't shake. Something was wrong.

"Munch and Fin are on it," Kenny told him when he got off the phone.

"Stay here and wait for Sarah to wake up. I've got to check on Liv. She isn't answering me," Elliot said.

"What if she's just sleeping?" Briscoe asked.

"Liv never shuts her phone off and she doesn't sleep that heavy," Elliot turned and headed for the elevator leaving Kenny wondering how he knew that. Of course, the thought hit him that Olivia hadn't been her usual self after the incident when she was undercover four years ago. Admittedly, she wouldn't open up to him anyway, but Elliot? They'd always shared a special bond. Kenny grabbed his phone, suddenly getting the same feeling in the pit of his stomach that Elliot had earlier.

"Fin, you gotta get over to Liv's place. Elliot's heading over now. She's not answering her phone," he told him. Fin didn't even reply, he just hung up. Munch gave him a look and the one he got in return told him everything he needed to know.

"Go. Lights and sirens," the Sergeant ordered.


	6. Chapter 6

Elliot got to Olivia's place first. Mrs. Bernhardt let him in again, this time confusing him for the Chinese delivery boy, though how he wasn't entirely sure. Glad to be in the building, Elliot quickly made his way up to Olivia's apartment. He knocked on the door but got no response.

"Liv! It's Elliot," he knocked again. No answer.

"Liv!" he was pounding on the door now. Still no answer. His radio crackled to life.

"Stabler you up there?" It was Fin.

"I can't get her to answer the door. Hang on and I'll buzz you in," Elliot responded. He pulled out his set of lock picks and quickly unlocked the apartment door. Entering the doorway, he pushed the buzzer on the wall. Fin radioed he was on his way up and Elliot pressed further into the apartment, leaving the door closed but unlocked.

Beer bottles littered the kitchen table and as he moved toward the sink, there were wine bottles. Opening the fridge, he found what he expected to find – no food – however the amount of liquor made him nervous. She could be heading down a rabbit hole, one their Captain knew well.

"Liv?" He called out but again got no response. Elliot frowned as he found her cellphone on the living room coffee table and her purse on the floor. Olivia had to be home. She would never leave without her keys, wallet, and phone.

"You find anything?" Fin asked as he entered the apartment.

"Nothing good," Elliot swallowed. Fin made sure the door was locked and then moved to his fellow detective.

"I see what you mean," the former narcotics detective said, looking around.

"Come on. She's got to be here. Head for the hallway," Elliot told him. Fin nodded and they moved to the hallway. The first door was the bathroom. It was empty. Elliot swallowed and knocked on the door. No answer. He pushed open the door and there on the bed, lying face down on top of the covers, was Olivia.

"How did she not hear us?" Fin asked. Elliot shook his head and checked for a pulse. A small sigh of relief passed his lips.

"She must be completely passed out from all the stuff she drank," Elliot said.

"Should we wake her up? I don't think she should be left alone," Fin admitted.

"I would never have left her if I thought this was possible," Elliot was angry with himself.

"Yeah well I don't see Kathy taking it well when you tell her that you can't leave Liv by herself. Hell, I figure Liv'll kill us when we try to help her. You know Baby Girl doesn't want to have to lean on anybody, even when she needs it," Fin said.

"Yeah I know but we have to make sure she doesn't throw up in this position. Help me pick her up," Elliot told him. Fin nodded and they carefully shifted her onto her side. The movement was enough to cause her to semi-sort of wake up. She tried to form some words, but they weren't coherent.

"She doesn't have any food in her fridge, does she?" Fin gave him a look.

"Yeah no," Elliot said.

"I'll make a run to the store. You keep an eye on her," Fin told him.

"This can't get back to the Captain or IAB," Elliot gave him a look of his own.

"What are we going with?" They had to get their stories straight in case the question of leaving their partners came up.

"Phone was on vibrate and fell under the couch," Elliot said.

"Weak but believable. We can say that with the bull pen in disarray that we both went because we weren't sure who was going," Fin nodded.

"Weak but they can't prove otherwise," Elliot agreed.

"Anything for Baby Girl," with that Fin headed out to the corner bodega. Elliot sat down on the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. She mumbled again and at that moment he made a promise, one he intended to keep.


	7. Chapter 7

Munch didn't even ask any questions when Elliot called him later and told him that he wasn't coming back in for the rest of his shift. The sergeant said that they had the case in hand and he didn't expect him in the next day either. If anyone asked, he had family stuff to handle. Elliot thanked him and hung up the phone.

That's when he heard the sound of retching from down the hall. Elliot ran down to the bathroom to find Olivia hunched over the toilet. Quickly, he maneuvered into the bathroom and held her hair back as she retched again. Cold sweats and trembling followed as she slumped up against her tub and her partner flushed the toilet.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

"No…" was all she got out before quickly returning to the porcelain bowl. Elliot grimaced as all the came up this time was bile. There was literally nothing left to get rid of. Again, she slumped back against the tub and Elliot flushed the toilet.

"How about now?" He asked. She just gave him a look. He went to the bathroom counter, grabbed the Listerine, and a paper cup. He put some of the mouthwash in the cup and handed it to her. She swished and spit into the toilet. He took the cup from her and gave her some more. This time she gargled and then spit it into the toilet. Elliot took the cup, threw it out, and then flushed the toilet one more time. Then he bent down and scooped her up off the floor. She didn't even try to fight him as he headed to the bedroom and set her down on the bed. He left her in a seated position as he covered her legs with the blankets. Then he gently sat down on the edge of the bed, near her feet.

"Liv…" he wasn't sure what to say next, but he knew he needed to do something.

"I've done it. I tried so hard to avoid it and I did it anyway," she finally spoke her first complete sentences since waking up about thirty minutes ago.

"Slow down, did what?" Elliot had an idea of what she meant but he didn't want to suppose anything. She needed to be honest with not only him but also herself.

"I've become my mother," there it was. While they did not suffer the same trauma, they both resorted to the bottle to cope. The department shrink was supposed to be talking to her, but the appointment wasn't until tomorrow. Olivia needed to be sober for that if she intended to keep her job.

"You haven't become your mother. You slipped a little, we all do. But you have one thing that your mother didn't have," Elliot said.

"What?" She gave him a look.

"A support system," he told her.

"How many of them know?" Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"Just the guys. We keep this from the Captain and IAB and you keep your job. You go to that shrink appointment tomorrow and get the right kind of help. We'll be right there supporting you. Anything you need. We're here for you," Elliot promised.

"Until you aren't. Don't make promises you can't keep El," she said.

"Liv, I'm your partner," he said.

"With a wife and kids at home. One of which is a toddler. I can't be monopolizing your time or Fin's or Munch's or Kenny's. How long do you think we could keep that up until the Captain figures out that you guys are keeping me afloat? That's if IAB even clears me. I don't keep my job and all those promises go away. Besides this isn't the first time I've had to fire my weapon on the job. Not the first person I killed. Once Tucker's goons left today, the writing was on the wall. I'm screwed and, in order for the Captain to keep his job, so is the poor bastard who let Jenna waltz passed the metal detectors. I appreciate you trying El, I do, but don't let yourself get dragged down by me. Save yourself and make sure you take care of that family of yours," Olivia told him.

"I'm not letting you off so easy. You're more than just my partner. You're my friend. My sounding board. You…" he stopped short. There was definitely more he needed to say but he debated what he should do.

"I'm what El? More baggage? A pain in your ass? What? What could possibly make me worth endangering your career and your family life?" She was demanding an answer, so he gave her one.

"You're the woman I love."


	8. Chapter 8

"You're the woman I love." Was what he wanted to say but he didn't. He only thought it, which was probably for the best given everything that was going on. What he said instead was,

"You're family. For God' sake Liv, you saved Kathy and Eli. Without you, my son might not be here right now. If you think I'm going to let you do this to yourself, you're mistaken." Olivia opened her mouth but then she closed it.

"Liv, please let me help you. Don't shut me out," he was pleading now, not something he was used to doing and she knew it. There was a side to Elliot that not everyone got to see, and it was on full display right now.

"Don't shut you out? There was a time that you wouldn't even let me in. Now, you want me to just collapse and tell you every little thought I've been having?" She asked.

"It's not about collapsing; it's about trusting me. I think after all these years that we trust each other, don't we?" Elliot wanted to know. Olivia heaved a sigh and nodded.

"Good. Now let me do what I can. We gave Tucker a lead while his goons were busy bothering you. We think Jenna had help bypassing the metal detector," Elliot said.

"Well she had to have planned something, but you really think someone agreed to get themselves arrested so she could enter the precinct?" Olivia gave him a look.

"This person just happened to come in while Martinez was on break. His replacement had to help with an unruly prisoner. The desk wasn't manned and Jenna slipped right through," he told her.

"So maybe no one got themselves arrested and she was waiting outside for the perfect moment?" she wondered.

"She would have had to have been loitering outside the precinct. I would hope in this day and age that someone would have noticed that," Elliot said.

"yeah well it only took her a moment to slip through. There were only three officers subduing the prisoner. I mean how many other officers didn't bother to stop her?" Olivia pointed out.

"True. The footage buys the Captain an excuse, but it doesn't exactly clear you. However, that doesn't mean we're giving up. We're wondering of the reason Jenna timed her approach so well was because the help she had was on the inside…" Elliot let the thought marinate.

"One of the cops in the precinct gave her a gun to use? It could offer another explanation for the distraction. She bypasses the metal detectors to make us think that she came in with the gun but picks it up where the cameras didn't see her," she nodded.

"Exactly. Either way it helps the Captain, but it does help you too," he said.

"How do you figure?" Olivia asked.

"Well if she had help then she was completely committed. She went in and didn't like what you told her, went out, came back in, and bam," Elliot told her.

"Cop assisted suicide," she shook her head.

"Exactly, which means you're off the hook. She refused to drop the weapon and Tucker already knows that. If we can cement that she had help and she never intended to walk out of the precinct…" he said.

"That does change things, if it can be cemented. But wouldn't the officer who hid the weapon know that Jenna was suicidal? I mean how could they rationalize doing something like this?" Olivia asked.

"I don't know. I'll pose the question to Tucker. Now get some sleep. You're meeting the department shrink tomorrow," Elliot told her.

"You better get home to Kathy and Eli," she said.

"And leave you alone? Yeah that's not happening. Munch has assigned me to make sure you make your appointment and I can't refuse my Sergeant's order," he winked as he stood up. Making sure she was comfy, Elliot headed for the door.

"You bring food with you?" she suddenly asked, the emptying of her stomach was catching up with her.

"Fin ran to the store. Come on, I'll make something," he smirked and headed out to the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 9

"So, I see that your partner dropped you off," Doctor Amy Valentino commented as Olivia took a seat across from the department psychiatrist.

"I told him I could have taken the subway, but he wanted to make sure that I got here on time," the detective explained.

"The subway running behind this morning?" the doctor was surprised.

"I doubt it, but it was a way for him to check in, so he used it as an excuse," Olivia told her, leaving out the fact that her partner had spent the night on her couch.

"Making sure you're ok?" Valentino wondered.

"He and the rest of the unit want me back. SVU is a specialized unit and not exactly meant for everyone. Not a lot of volunteers," Olivia explained.

"Live victims make the job harder," the psychiatrist nodded.

"Exactly," Olivia nodded.

"So, what makes it the perfect job for you?" Amy wanted to know.

"I've always wanted to help people and being a homicide detective seemed like helping too late," the detective said. She really didn't want to get into more than that, but the next question would force her hand,

"You could be a school resource officer or DARE officer or you could have stayed a beat cop. Heck, you could even work in the gang unit or narcotics. Instead, you work in a unit where you hear horror stories. Even when there is a death with sexual overtones, the things you hear, are unimaginable. Yet not only did you request to join the unit, you have thrived in the unit, when most cops in a unit like yours burn out much faster than other officers. So, what drives you? Why this unit?"

"I haven't burnt out because of the team around me. We're all there for the same reason. We've become like a family. You need to lean on each other when we have these kinds of cases," Olivia tried to skirt the question's true answer.

"Let me see if I have this right. Sergeant Munch has been married and divorced multiple times. Detective Tutuola's family life was splashed all over the news - incest and a murderer who got lucky. Detective Stabler's anger management issues and protecting his children, Kathleen and Dickie are fairly well known. You had two on the job shootings before the other day. No one could fault you for Roger Silver. You wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't shot him. Eric Plummer, well he pulled a move that you are now more intimately familiar with – suicide by cop. So, while you see a family, I see a group of detectives barely handling their own issues, barely keeping it together, while having the highest solve rate of any other unit. I'm not sure family is what I'd call it but whatever it is, it's working," Valentino gave her a look.

"Checking our files huh Doc? Isn't that cheating?" Olivia gave her a look of her own.

"Hardly. I needed to know what you'd seen, what you'd been through. Your file has its ups and downs, its commendations, and its reprimands. But there is a lot the file doesn't say. Given your responses to this first interchange, I'd say you have a lot of things you don't want to talk about. I'm here to help you," Amy said.

"You're not here to help me. You work for the department. They want someone to blame for what happened to Jenna. At the end of the day they are looking for a way to not have the blame placed on them. It's not the first time the brass has rushed to cover their asses and it won't be the last. The real, true cops, they're the ones who get screwed. That fact of the matter is the top brass have forgotten what it's like to be on the front line. To see the shit, we see every day. Do you know why Jenna had to be at the precinct? Her mother was murdered right in front of her. Her mother was going to testify against her rapist. After she watches the only person left on the planet who loved her die, Jenna gave up. I should have seen it. I should have known that she was in a dangerous spot. Instead I was chasing down her mother's murderer so I could bring her mother the justice she deserved. I can't be a detective, a victim's advocate, and a social worker all at the same time," Olivia blew up. Sha hadn't wanted to but there it was – all out in the open.

"Despite what you might think, I am not helping anyone but you. You had to shoot a teenager. One who obviously wanted to die. To have someone so young put you in that position is something that no one is prepared to deal with. If you had not ended it, one of your other colleagues might be. Despite how you feel inside, you saved a lot of lives because you acted," Amy said.

"Tell that to Sister Peg," the detective said.

"Why don't we start there," Amy smiled slightly. Maybe, just maybe, they'd get somewhere.


	10. Chapter 10

Elliot waited outside the door. On the other side of that door was his partner and the department shrink. Her appointment had only supposed to have been an hour, but she'd been in there for almost two. Elliot figured that the shrink was supposed to be seeing other cops but there was no one else waiting, except the receptionist who tippy tapped on the keyboard in front of her, answered the phone, and otherwise ignored the detective who was trying to sit still in the waiting room.

"I hate to bother you but is this usual? I thought my partner's appointment was only supposed to be an hour," Elliot asked the receptionist. She seemed young but looked tired – the bags under her eyes were noticeable.

"Doctor Valentino always clears her schedule for police involved shootings. Luckily her other patients understand. She still makes calls once the appointment is done, she might even see some others later today, but she never likes to rush things," the brunette smiled.

"Oh. She cares a lot, doesn't she?" Elliot wondered.

"She does. That's why she posts the informational and inspirational posters. Some patients need the extra push. Not many cops want to be here," she said.

"And the photos? Pretty sure that she isn't supposed to let people know who her patients are," Elliot pointed out. There were two photos on the wall with the Doctor in them. The pictures were police academy graduation shots – one much older than the other. He figured that one was her husband and the other her daughter. The other photos were of sights around the city.

"They aren't her patients. They're her family," she responded with a slight smile.

"Two cops in the family and she works as the department shrink? Wow," Elliot was impressed.  
"Makes her uniquely qualified," the receptionist nodded. That's when the door opened and Olivia and the doctor exited. Elliot could tell that his partner had been crying at one point despite her trying to hide it.

"Detective Stabler, I'm surprised to see you here," Valentino smiled slightly.

"Just picking up my partner, Doctor, nothing more," he smiled a little.

"Well that's thoughtful of you. Since you're here, did you want to get your meeting out of the way?" Valentino was supposed to be swinging by the precinct tomorrow to check up on the detectives.

"I think I'll wait until tomorrow. You'll be at the precinct, right?" He asked.

"Nine am tomorrow, see you then," with that the doctor turned around and headed back inside her office. Elliot escorted Olivia down to the car – they didn't say anything until they were inside the vehicle.

"Are you ok?" He asked as they sat there, the keys were still in Elliot's hand.

"Why wouldn't I be?" She wasn't looking at him. Olivia just stared through the windshield not looking at anything in particular.

"Because you were in there for almost two hours and you've been crying. You can't hide from me Liv. I know you too well," he said. Olivia hung her head.

"It doesn't matter. There's no way after that meeting I get to keep my job," she said.

"Wrong. We have proof that Jenna didn't bring that gun into the precinct," Elliot told her.

"What do you mean?" Olivia looked up at him.

"Kenny is like a dog with a bone. He was sniffing around and he found something that will definitely get you off the hook," Elliot said.

"I think you're putting a few horses before the cart, aren't you? Even if she had help, you really think the cop who helped her would fess up?" Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"Forensics is working on getting prints off the gun. The serial number was ground down, but they think that they can match the rifling off the bullets that hit the two scumbags," he explained.

"So maybe our helper didn't realize that the gun was fired before? Knew enough to file off the serial number… what if our helper didn't think that she was going to use it?" Olivia suddenly had an idea.

"What do you mean?" Elliot asked.

"Hear me out. She tells her helper that she's coming in; she needs to talk to the detectives. They say, perfect because as you're exiting the precinct, you don't have to go through the metal detectors. That way you can pick up the gun and no one will know," she said.

"They figured that she'd never actually fire it. Jenna probably fed them a line about wanting it for protection now that she was all alone," he nodded.

"What started out as a helping hand became a way to get what she wanted. Or maybe she changes her mind at the last second. Either way, the officer might not have had any idea what she was actually planning. It would explain why the officer would help – they figured they'd never get caught," Olivia told him.

"See this is why we need you back," Elliot smiled. He jammed the key into the ignition and started the car. Pulling into traffic, he headed back toward Olivia's apartment.

"I'll talk to the boys. You need to be hands off but if you're right, then we definitely have something more to work with," he was almost giddy as he moved through traffic.

"Look El, without proof of where that weapon came from, we're still dead in the water," she said.

"Not exactly. Where would an officer get a gun that wouldn't necessarily trace back to them?" Elliot wondered.

"The street? I mean it really isn't that hard to find one," Olivia pointed out.

"Yes, but then they'd have a dealer who would identify them," Elliot said.

"The property room," Olivia's shoulders slumped.

"The property room," he nodded.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the words in italics are memories, just so you know.

Olivia was back at home and Elliot was on his way back to the precinct. The silence was once again deafening from the seat on her couch. The words from her meeting with the department psychologist rang in her ears. She was a compassionate doctor and she promised to give IAB what they needed and nothing more. Valentino had promised everything on top of that would stay between them.

Everything spilled out. Everything. She really hadn't meant it to, but it did. In some ways she felt a little better but mostly she still felt like crap. Of course, she hadn't actually spilled everything, everything. Her mother, how she was conceived, the alcoholism, the abuse… that… that wasn't coming out. Only Elliot knew most of the truth about it all and it would stay that way, if you had any say.

_"What was so special about Sister Peg?" Doctor Valentino asked._

" _She was a great person, doing good work, and she's dead. Dead because Jenna wanted vengeance and didn't care who got in her way," Olivia heaved a sigh._

" _But what did Sister Peg mean to you? You don't have any religion listed on your records, so I don't think that had anything to do with it," the doctor raised an eyebrow._

" _I'm not religious, true, but Sister Peg didn't preach. She reached out to the working girls and guys on the street. She made sure they had protection for when they met their clients and she told them about dangers that lurked. Creepers, possible killers, if we told her, she got the word out. The working folks trusted her and in turn trusted us because she told them we weren't there to bust them. Sister Peg was an ally to so many people. The forgotten amongst society lost a voice when Jenna fired off those rounds. The world lost a good woman who cared about everyone, no matter their status," she said._

" _A modern Mother Theresa," Valentino nodded._

" _I suppose do, and she didn't deserve to die like that. No one does, but if even Sister Peg wasn't safe that day, why was I?" Olivia wanted to know._

" _There is no good answer to that. We often try to make sense of someone's death in situations like these. If a woman of God could not survive, why did I? The answer that people often come to is that it wasn't their time, which seems like an easy answer. It can satisfy the casual observer but to someone like yourself, it doesn't answer the question. The truth is we don't know why. Whether it was luck, your training, or an outside force, we will never have the answer. So instead what we must do is focus on what you need. What do you need to realize that it is not your fault? It is not your fault that Jenna got her hands on a gun. She sought a weapon out. You did not put it in her hands. You did not tell her to go out and get one. She did that all on her own. Those words don't mean much do they? I bet your partner and your coworkers have said the same things. That's why you're here. That's why I'm here. To help you through this minefield," Valentino explained._

" _What if there is no way through this minefield? What if this has permanently changed me? It's not the first time I've lost someone I knew, someone I thought of as a friend. I'm sure it won't be the last. Every loss touches people differently, I understand that, but what if there is no way back to normal?" Olivia asked._

" _Normal is a societal construct. What we need to do is make your new "normal". This event has changed you. To deny so, would only hurt you. So, we work over, around, and through the issue but the only way to do that, is for you to be honest with me. Walls are natural in your job. If you don't build them, every victim, every case, could drown you. Tearing down those walls, even for a few minutes can seem like something impossible. I want you to be able to go back to work. I want you to be able to move past this. The question is, what do you want?"_ the doctor's last question echoed in her head. After this, she'd broken down. Admitted that she thought if she hadn't ended it, that her coworkers would be next. She had skirted the idea of her feelings for Elliot. There was no coming back from that and she knew that. Somewhere in there, she started crying, even though she couldn't exactly figure out why. Doctor Valentino had let her cry, handed her a box of tissues.

Scraping herself up off the couch, she went to the fridge. There was food in there, thanks to Fin. She heaved a sigh. She was a mess and she knew it. Maybe the therapy would help. Maybe she'd open up. Heaving a sigh, she grabbed some lunchmeat and some cheese. After making a quick sandwich, she went into the upper cabinet of the kitchen cupboard. There she had some vodka stashed; Elliot hadn't found it. He'd found what had remained in the rest of her apartment and must have gotten rid of it, but he didn't check inside the crockpot she'd once been given. Why someone had given her one, she had no idea. Using a crockpot required a schedule, something she didn't have. Anyway, just a little bit of vodka to take off the edge of her day. It wouldn't be a problem.

Meanwhile, Elliot, Fin, Munch, and Kenny were onto something. They were inching closer to being able to prove that Jenna had help. Elliot was excited at the prospect but also nervous. Tucker had made it clear that someone was going to have to take the fall. Olivia's appointment with the shrink had made him wonder, especially since she hadn't told him what had happened. He didn't want to press but he also didn't want her going through this alone.

His phone went off for the fifteenth time in the last hour. He knew who it was without even looking at it. Kathy. She'd been displeased when he'd told her that Olivia needed him to keep an eye on her. He'd lied and said that they were doing it in shifts. He promised to be home to see Eli, but he hadn't gone home. Not yet. His son was suffering due to all of the arguing and he knew this. Finally, he'd had enough when his phone rang again. He picked it up, fully ready to blow a gasket, when the voice on the other end stopped him.

"Dad?" It was Kathleen.

"Are you ok sweetie?" He immediately grew concerned for his second born. She'd had her problems in the past and he thought the worst of it was over.

"I'm fine but I don't think Olivia is," Kathleen admitted.

"What do you mean?" He was confused.

"I went by her place after I heard what happened. She helped me out and I wanted to help her, but she won't open the door and I can hear her crying. Dad, she never cries. Not as long as I've known her," Kathleen said.

"Keep talking to her through the door. I'm on my way," Elliot told her.

"Ok, I'll do what I can," Kathleen promised before hanging up.

"Everything ok?" Munch asked.

"I don't think so. Kathleen went over to Liv's and something's wrong. Liv won't let her in," Elliot had sprung out of his seat and grabbed his jacket.

"Go but remember you have to be here when the shrink comes by in the morning or you're in big trouble," Munch told him. Elliot nodded and rushed out of the building.

"So, what do we do?" Kenny asked.

"I'm going to call Tucker. You two are going to go downstairs and bring Officer Sandusky up here. We're going to have a little chat once Tucker gets here," Munch said, grabbing his phone. Quickly, Fin and Kenny started to head downstairs when Fin's phone rang. He answered it, noticing it was Melinda. He thought it odd considering their rape victim was still alive. The hospital had her under psychiatric watch so they could figure out her behavior.

"Hey Melinda, what's up?" He asked.

"Fin, your victim was just brought into my morgue. From all accounts, she committed suicide. I'll know more though when I cut her open," Melinda explained.

"Ok, let us know what you find. The hospital didn't call us," Fin frowned.

"I'm guessing you were second on their list," Melinda figured. It would seem that she was right as Kenny picked up his phone.


	12. Chapter 12

"So, tell me Officer Sandusky, you didn't think you'd get caught, did you?" Sergeant Ed Tucker asked inside the temporary SVU interrogation unit. He'd asked if the man wanted his union rep, but Sandusky declined.

"What exactly would I get caught for?" Officer Benjamin Sandusky gave him a look. He'd been on the force for almost ten years and knew the ins and outs of how IAB operated.

"Getting that gun out of the property room. Giving it to Jenna Fox. I think we both know what she used that weapon for," Tucker gave the officer a look of his own.

"How many guns are in the property room? How many people go in and out of that room?" Sandusky was playing hard to get.

"You're right of course but you forgot one thing – the gun you gave Jenna had a body on it. See we matched the bullets from our dead punks and poor Sister Peg to a gun from a cold case that has been languishing for the last seven years. You see you worked the scene for the detectives on the murder in a drive-by. Poor little girl caught in some gang violence. The gun was found in the sewer – ruining the chance of finding fingerprints. Everyone thought the case was easily solved – I mean what idiot does a drive by with nine-millimeter? They usually use those mac-tens or some other automatic weapon. Well it was just a gun dump. Try and confuse the investigation was all it was. The bullets that killed poor six-year-old Suzy Redmond didn't match the gun. No, it matched the death of a gangbanger from the week before. So, the gun was filed with the gangbanger's case, but you didn't forget that it was found near the spot where poor Suzy died. You figured you couldn't help poor Suzy but Jenna… now there was a little girl you could help," Ed said. Sandusky heaved a sigh.

"You weren't thinking she'd go apeshit and start shooting up the precinct. You thought she was just a scared kid who had no one left in the world. No one would miss the gun in a case that no one was working really hard to find the killer in. The only thing I haven't figured out is how it all went down. She come to you? You go to her? What made you throw away your career and possibly your life?" Tucker pressed.

"I walked her up to see Detective Benson a couple of times. She came up to me and asked me how to get a gun. She felt so alone, and she didn't know how else to protect herself. I turned her away. Told her that there were places that she could take self-defense classes. I thought that was the end of it. Then one day she came back in. I was coming off of my beat when I saw her sitting waiting in the lobby. Desk Sergeant said she was looking for me and pointed to Jenna. It looked like she hadn't been sleeping. She hadn't asked for the detectives and my guess was that they were out catching the bastard who killed her mother. She told me that she thought someone was trying to get into her place and she was freaking out. I asked her why she didn't tell Detective Benson. She said that she didn't want to take up Benson's time. She wanted her focused on catching the guys who did this.

"So, I said that we could have cars run by her building more often or that she should stay with friends. She said that running cars by her building would not have helped her mom. She said her friends were handling her with kid gloves, like she was made of glass. I said to her that she'd have to put up with the glass treatment. Her safety was more important than anything. That answer seemed to torque her off and she left. At that point, I told the desk sergeant to leave a note for the detectives.

"That night I headed down to the property room. I had no idea that the detectives had caught the guys. I sent Jenna a text, told her to swing by the precinct the next day. Apparently, Detective Benson asked her to come down already – something I didn't know. I gave her the gun. I told her that she should only use it in an absolute emergency. I said I'd teach her how to use it. We never got that far," Sandusky slumped his shoulders.

"You're in it deep. I can tell you that. If it was just the perps, there might be an argument to be made. Sister Peg though…" Tucker frowned.

"I know. I just… I didn't want her to end up like…" Sandusky shook his head.

"Suzy. I know. It's the cases with kids that always get you. I'm going to need your badge, your service weapon, and your back up piece. You're suspended without pay until I bring this to the DA and see how they want to proceed. Get yourself a lawyer," Tucker told him. With that he got up and headed to the door where other IAB officers were waiting.

"Make sure that Officer Sandusky empties his locker and is escorted off the premises," Tucker said. The officers nodded and took Sandusky out of the room.

"You're not arresting him? He should be heading to lock up," Munch said.

"You're right he should be, but there is too much riding on this. I have his statement recorded. It should put both the Captain and Benson in the clear. The brass have parked themselves on my ass so bad I'm chafing. If we don't play by their rules on this one, Sandusky won't be the only one looking for a new career," Tucker told him.

"I thought you didn't play by the brass's rules," Munch gave him a look.

"This is the one time I'm making an exception. I'm getting too old to get another job and I don't want to be a PI," Ed said. Munch nodded.

"Where is the rest of your unit?" Tucker wondered, realizing the temporary bullpen was empty.

"Fin and Kenny are down at the morgue. Somehow our victim committed suicide while someone at the hospital was supposed to be watching. Elliot needed to help Kathleen," Munch explained.

"She's not getting herself into more trouble, is she? That's the last thing this unit needs," Ed gave him a look.

"Oh no. Something he promised her that he'd help with and then promptly forgot," the former Baltimore detective said.

"Good. Have a good one Munch. I'll be in touch," Ed promised before taking off. Munch watched him go, hoping that his lie was enough and hoping that whatever was going on at Benson's place didn't end up in Stabler calling for backup.

Meanwhile, Fin and Kenny stood down in the morgue with Melinda. The medical examiner was elbow deep in Sarah Marvin's autopsy. She had not understood why they'd come down; she wasn't done with looking everything over.

"As I said, I wasn't done yet. The lab might have her personal effects all sorted out though," she told them.

"I guess we won't need that search warrant to check her place..." Kenny heaved a sigh before continuing, "We're a little confused Doc. How could this happen? She was under suicide watch." He looked at the body of the victim. Her bruises from the day she came into the hospital had almost healed.

"Well I would have thought it would have been harder to do in the psychiatric ward under the watch of professionals but if someone wants out bad enough, they'll find a way," Melinda frowned.

"We're going to head down to the hospital to talk to the doctors, but we thought maybe you could give us a quick prelim," Fin explained.

"Well no wounds so she didn't manage to get a sharp object. No marks to indicate she tried to hang herself. That's probably why they didn't call you. This could be as simple as an overdose. Maybe instead of taking her pills, she was stockpiling them. Take enough of them and it causes a heart attack or your organs to shut down. Once the tox screen comes back, I'll know more," the medical examiner promised.

"Ok keep us posted. Thanks," Kenny gave her a slight smile and the two walked out of the morgue. Climbing into the Ford, Fin gunned the engine. He was in no mood. Someone failed this poor girl and he intended to find out who.

Over in Midtown, Elliot had picked the lock into Olivia's apartment again. She'd refused to open the door. Told him to go away. He wasn't going to listen to her. Kathleen had grown even more concerned when she heard glass breaking from whatever the detective, she looked up to, threw at the front door.

"Be careful honey," Elliot helped his daughter inside the apartment. He noticed that the thing which had shattered was a vodka bottle. He cursed inwardly. There was a bottle he missed. Of course, she'd learned from an alcoholic so he should not have been surprised. The only good thing was that the floor was wet – Olivia hadn't drunk the whole bottle.

"I'll clean up. You handle this," Kathleen headed for the kitchen while Elliot headed to the living room. There on the couch was Olivia. Her head was in her hands, she was crying. Without thinking, he sat down next to her and pulled her to him, holding her so that her head was on his shoulder and his arm was around her shoulders.

"I'm here Liv. I'm here," he whispered.

"Why? Why are you here?" She was questioning him after everything they'd been through the other day.

"Because Kathleen called. She was worried. But she's not the only one," Elliot told her.

"My mother was right. I'm a waste of space. I just drag other people down," she was being irrational. Hard to say if that was because of the alcohol she'd drank or if something her visit to the shrink had brought up. Olivia's walls were tall and thick. The dam was bound to burst and shooting Jenna triggered the damage to those walls.

"Your mother was wrong. You are strong. You are compassionate. You are the best detective I've ever worked with. You care about every victim – you advocate for them. You are the best person I know. Please let me in," he was practically begging her, and Elliot Stabler never begged anyone. This caused Kathleen to stop what she was doing and look up.

"Don't push me away Liv. I'm in this for the long haul," it was an odd thing for him to say, his daughter thought but then again she didn't know what was going on. All she knew was what she'd heard in the news and the very few details she'd managed to worm out of Kenny – her dad had been ignoring his calls – probably because of her mother. The young woman wasn't blind or deaf. She knew that things between her folks were not good.

What came next surprised both Elliot and Kathleen – Olivia opened her mouth and everything, absolutely everything, that had been bottling up tumbled out.


	13. Chapter 13

Elliot just sat next to her and listened. Listened to her tell him about just how abusive her mother had been. Listened to how the events at Sealview really affected her. How all those times she claimed she had something else she needed to do; she was going to group therapy. Listened to how a hole had been ripped in her chest when Calvin had been torn away from her, not all that long ago.

Hours had passed as she struggled to get some of it out. It was painful both to say and to listen to. Elliot's heart broke. Olivia had been carrying a load not meant for one person. Still everyday she got up and put her pants on just like everyone else – one leg at a time. He wished that she'd trusted him enough to share the burden. Maybe it wasn't a trust issue. Maybe she didn't want to add to his plate – something that would be totally her. Olivia had to be self-sufficient at an early age – perhaps why she and Calvin bonded so easily.

Completely exhausted, Olivia heaved a sigh, sinking deeper into Elliot's embrace. He said nothing, not wanting to break the moment. Kathleen had been sitting in the kitchen, trying not to interrupt the moment and trying to absorb everything she heard. That's when Elliot's phone rang. He rolled his eyes and carefully extracted himself from his partner.

"Stabler," he answered.

"Ok, I understand. Thanks for the call," that was all he said to the caller before hanging up.

"You should go. You have that appointment with the shrink in the morning. If you miss that, you know what'll happen," Olivia said.

"Go where? That was my lawyer. Kathy doesn't want me coming home. She filed for divorce again. I guess I should have answered those phone calls earlier," he shook his head.

"I'm ordering pizza. Anyone else want in?" Kathleen spoke up, moving into the living room.

"Sounds good sweetie. Sorry you had to hear that about me and your mom," Elliot said, standing up.

"Dad, I knew it was coming," she told him, giving him a look.

"You did?" He asked.

"I wasn't going to say anything, it really wasn't my place but… yeah. On some level, I think she thought you were cheating with Olivia. Then when she saved her and Eli… I think there's some unresolved issues there," Kathleen admitted.

"I'm guessing those therapy sessions are helping huh? I'm sorry kiddo. You didn't need to hear me unload like that. I'm not even sure what made me do it, I just… I just don't want to end up like my mom and to be honest, your dad is the only one I trust with everything," Olivia lifted herself off the couch and went over to the younger girl. Elliot picked up his phone and called the pizza joint up the block.

"You helped me. If you needed to unload, if you feel better, never apologize. You told me once that I needed to admit I needed help before I could get it. Maybe you just admitted it," Kathleen smiled slightly.

"I honestly thought after those group therapy sessions, I was better. Obviously not," Olivia heaved a sigh.

"Well maybe you were but I'm betting what happened at the precinct opened some old wounds. My therapist says that therapy is meant to be something that takes a lifetime. Kind of like antibiotics – can't quit before you finish the whole course. Therapy just takes longer," the younger blonde said.

"Glad you found someone so helpful. I'm so proud of you, I really am," Olivia said. Kathleen wrapped her arms around the older woman. Olivia was surprised but she quickly returned the hug.

"You know that I would never do anything to hurt you or your siblings right?" The detective asked. Kathleen pulled back, giving her a confused look.

"I would never get in between your folks. I only ever wanted to be there for you; if you needed me," Olivia explained.

"You were just an excuse. Mom and Dad hadn't been getting along for years. I really thought it was over before, but then little Eli was on the way and Dad being Dad, did the right thing – he came home. The issues remained. It was fine for a little while, but they eventually ended up where they are now – back at the beginning," the blonde admitted.

"I'm here for you if you need me. If your Mom doesn't want me to be near you, I understand. I'm not here to cause trouble between you and your folks," Olivia tried.

"Guess what, I'm almost twenty-two. They can work out their own problems. I'm friends with whoever I want," Kathleen smirked.

"Pizza will be here within the hour," Elliot announced, effectively breaking up their moment.

"Great, I need a shower," Olivia heaved a sigh and headed for her bedroom. Once she was out of earshot, Elliot turned to his daughter. Before he even got a chance to open his mouth, Kathleen opened hers.

"Don't oppose the divorce. Dick and Lizzie are almost eighteen, so all you need to do is to make sure you share custody of Eli. Olivia needs you – in whatever capacity she needs you – don't let her fall through the cracks. She deserves better. If you love her, tell her. If you don't, fine, but then you better be the best damned partner you can be. Without her, I'd be in jail or worse. Without her, Mom and Eli, probably would not be alive. It might sound crazy but sometimes she seems more devoted than she has any reason to be," she blew him away. She had definitely grown up and he knew that Olivia had a huge part in it. He walked up to her and gave her a hug.

"I love you sweetie," he said.

"And I love you. Do the right thing," Kathleen poked him in the chest.


	14. Chapter 14

Unable to go home, Elliot spent the night on Olivia's couch. Kathleen had run over to her parents' place and grabbed her father some clean clothes, dropping them off so he could go to his appointment with the department shrink in clothes that he hadn't been wearing the day before. He'd grabbed a cup of Olivia's coffee and was out the door, on the way to the precinct, so he'd be on time.

"Good timing Stabler," Munch said as the detective walked into the temporary bullpen.

"I'm on time," Elliot said.

"Yup. Fin just went in for his session. Allows Kenny and myself to bring you up to speed," Munch explained. Elliot took a seat next to the elder detective's desk and Munch told him all about what Tucker had found. Kenny grabbed a cup of coffee from the machine and handed Elliot one, while sipping on his own. The younger detective took a seat at Fin's desk, turning the chair towards them. Munch explained that hadn't heard anything since Sandusky was escorted off the property, but they figured that Tucker was right – both Cragen and Olivia should be in the clear.

"That is good news," Elliot smiled.

"That's about where the good news ends. Our victim, Sarah Marvin, managed to commit suicide while in the psychiatric ward of the hospital," Kenny said.

"What the hell happened?" Elliot asked.

"We went down to the hospital to find out. TARU is sifting through the security camera footage, trying to find anyone who might have tried to enter the secure ward but stopped short when they realized they'd have to sign in," the younger detective said.

"What about the hospital staff? What's their excuse?" Stabler wanted to know.

"Melinda isn't done with the tox screen yet. The autopsy confirmed that no weapon was used and that she wasn't strangled," Munch told him.

"So, the hospital is going to hold the party line and blame some poor aide who didn't make sure she swallowed her pills," Elliot frowned.

"Probably. All we got was – 'talk to the hospital's counsel'," Kenny frowned.

"Was the scene preserved?" Elliot asked.

"Nope. She was dead so they called Melinda and then cleaned up the room for the next patient," Munch shook his head.

"So, a patient on suicide watch dies and they just ship the body over instead of calling the police? I realize we don't investigate every hospital death but if a patient is supposed to be watched carefully to avoid killing themselves, shouldn't we be called if they somehow succeed, especially since the victim was assaulted?" Elliot cocked an eyebrow.

"One would think so. The only reason we found out about it was because Melinda called us. The hospital called after she called," Munch said.

"Covering their butts is the only thing I can think of on this one. Tell me we got a rape kit though," Elliot was hoping.

"Given Sarah's mental instability, there was no way to get consent," Munch heaved a sigh.

"So, we have no case," Elliot said.

"If TARU can't find anything on those tapes…" Kenny let the thought go.

"Then the person who is responsible for her assault, and therefore her death, will get away with it," Stabler huffed.

"Even if we can finger someone the defense will ask for DNA and we won't have it," Munch shook his head.

"I understand why consent is required. I mean it's incredibly invasive and when you're dealing with someone who has just had the worst thing possible happen to them, traumatizing them more is inhuman but now the monster that did this is going to get away," Elliot was frustrated.

"The lab is running everything they found on her personal belongings. The hospital took samples from Sarah's other injuries. We might get lucky," Kenny was trying to be positive. Before anyone else could say anything, Fin exited the temporary interrogation room.

"Stabler, you're up," he said. Elliot sucked in a breath and headed into the interrogation room.


	15. Chapter 15

The talk with Doctor Valentino went well he figured and once he exited the session, Kenny had to head in. Munch was on the phone, so Elliot turned to Fin, who was sitting there, waiting for Munch.

"Any word from the lab?" He asked.

"Nothing yet. Munch is on with TARU right now," Fin said.

"We're hosed, aren't we?" Elliot frowned.

"Could be. How's Liv?" Fin wanted to know.

"She's better. Thanks again for the other day," he said.

"No problem. I'm just glad to hear she's doing better. We could use her back," Fin said.

"I'm not sure how she'd handle being down in the bull pen again. Everything could come rushing back and that is not going to help her," Elliot heaved a sigh.

"I asked Doctor Valentino about that. I figured that even though we're not showing any signs of being overly stressed or anything, the location…" Fin trailed off and Elliot knew what he meant. If anyone walked back into the room and their mind decided to remind them what happened there, it would not be good.

"So, we're not going back to our floor anytime soon," Stabler nodded.

"Probably not," Fin acquiesced. That's when Munch hung up the phone.

"What's the word?" Fin asked.

"TARU found someone trying to get to our victim. They're running facial recognition now," he said.

"Well that's something. Any word from the lab?" Stabler wanted to know.

"Her phone was a complete bust. The techs figured that someone used their boots to make sure it didn't work anymore. They swabbed the purse and got some epithelials. They're running them. I want you two to get over to Sarah Marvin's place. We don't need a warrant anymore and I can't leave because her parents are due in from Maine soon," the Sergeant ordered.

"On it," Elliot nodded and the two headed out to the car. Hopefully, there was something in the apartment that helped them find someone to blame for the horrible tragedy. The hospital's lawyer was being taken to court by Cabot. She was doing all she could to try and get the hospital to give access to the staff in the psychiatric wing and to get the full story.

Meanwhile, there was a knock-on Olivia's door. The detective went to it, not expecting anyone, and just opened the door. Needless to say, she was shocked to see who stood on the other side.

"Kathy?" Olivia couldn't believe it.

"Where's Elliot?" Not a "hello", "how you doing", just right to the point.

"At the precinct, I would imagine. Today was the day that the department shrink was checking in on everybody. I'm guessing Kathleen told you that though," Olivia said.

"She stopped by to get her father some clothes. Figured he didn't spend the night in a hotel," Kathy didn't come out and say it, but the detective knew what she was getting at.

"He spent the night on my couch and was out the door before eight am. I wasn't going to kick him out after you wouldn't even let him over to get some clothes so he could go to work," Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"And I'm just supposed to believe that nothing happened between you two?" Kathy asked.

"You know what happened between us – what happened was, he scraped me off the floor after I was sent home following having to shoot a teenager in the precinct. He made sure that I ate. He made sure that I made my appointment with the department shrink. The only reason I'm even functioning right now is because of Elliot and because of Kathleen. She came to check on me, even though she didn't need to. I'm not sure why you hate me, but I've never done anything improper with your husband. The fact of the matter is, the guys at the precinct are the only family I have left, and I would never jeopardize that," Olivia gave her a look.

"Now I'm due for my follow up appointment with the shrink, so if you'd please see yourself out, I need to get ready," Olivia continued. Kathy gave her a look before turning on her heel and leaving. Locking the door behind her, Olivia headed for her room. She just shook her head knowing that this was far from over.


	16. Chapter 16

"Hey detectives, we've got this all ready for you," CSU tech Bobby Hines smiled as the uniformed officer at the door let the two into the apartment. They were standing in the living room and Elliot gave the room a cursory scan.

"What do you mean Bobby?" Fin asked.

"You'll see," the younger man said. He turned and headed down the hall and Fin looked at Elliot.

"That can't be good," Elliot shook his head. They headed down after the tech, who had turned into the bedroom.

"Hit the lights," Bobby asked Fin. The detective shut the lights off and the CSU tech shown his black light on the bed.

"Could have warned a brother," Fin made a face.

"Geez," Elliot said. The bed lit up like a Christmas tree – bodily fluids were everywhere.

"You can turn the light back on," Bobby said. Fin wasn't sure he wanted to touch the light switch, but he turned the lights back on anyway.

"So are we assuming that she just didn't wash her sheets or…" Elliot looked at the tech.

"My guess is that she was running a business out of here. I'm not holding out hope for any decent samples – they'll all be contaminated. The defense could argue that she had more visitors than a truck stop on the highway," Bobby frowned.

"So, our girl is a pro. Could mean our visitor at the hospital was her pimp," Elliot said.

"But when was the last time you saw a pro bring her clients back to her own pad?" Fin wondered.

"Point. So not a pro, just someone who needed to wash their sheets more?" Elliot asked.

"Maybe the guy who went to check on her was her boyfriend?" Fin suggested.

"Why smash her phone then?" Elliot shook his head.

"Something is hinky. Check the closet," Fin said. They made their way to the closet and dresser nearby.

"Something is very hinky," Elliot frowned opening the closet to only find women's clothing.

"So maybe we're not looking for a man?" Fin found the same thing in the dresser.

"Not unless one of your females pees standing up," a second tech, Suzy Glover, called from down the hall. Fin looked Elliot and he just shrugged. They headed out of the room and down to Suzy.

"Any fingerprints on the toilet seat?" Fin asked.

"Checking now," Suzy nodded. Elliot turned to the medicine cabinet. Fin looked at him and could tell something was up.

"Hey, did we ever confirm our vic's ID?" Elliot wanted to know.

"What do you mean?" Fin wondered.

"The prescription in the medicine cabinets doesn't say "Sarah Marvin". They say "Elizabeth Montgomery"," Elliot said.

"Wasn't that the lady from Bewitched?" Fin gave him a look.

"Yeah it was. So, who is our victim? Sarah Marvin or Elizabeth Montgomery?" The more Elliot thought about the case, the less things made sense.

"You've got a bigger problem. The ID in the wallet, that was with the victim's purse, wasn't Sarah Marvin or Elizabeth Montgomery," Suzy spoke up.

"Kind of a large bomb to be dropping now," Fin said, looking at her.

"Well since the apartment was rented to Sarah Marvin and since that was the name, she gave the hospital, we figured this was just a fake ID or a friend's that she was keeping in her purse. There weren't any useable prints on it, so we focused on the stuff we had," Suzy admitted.

"Grab toothbrushes and hairbrushes. We need to check any DNA we find on these to the body. Her prints need to be run in the system. I know it's crazy but see how many different kinds of samples on the sheets and blankets. The case won't be going anywhere if we can't figure out who we're looking for," Elliot said.

"Agreed. Let's keep scouring the apartment, see what else turns up," Fin nodded. Elliot felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he pulled it out. It was a text from Olivia. He read it and must have had a look on his face because Fin spoke up,

"What's up?"

"Kathy paid Liv a visit," Elliot said.

"Oh geez," Fin said.


	17. Chapter 17

Elliot and Fin left the crime scene techs working the scene. There was more confusion than anything else at this point. Suzy had called up the lab to get the third names for them – Gaye Paulson. Elliot swore that some of the names were familiar. With Fin driving, Elliot did a quick internet search on his phone.

"We have no idea who our victim is," he announced.

"Why what you'd find?" Fin asked, dodging traffic on the way back to the precinct.

"Sarah Paulson is an actress and Marvin Gaye, well I shouldn't need to tell you who he is," Elliot smirked.

"The Prince of Soul, yeah no, you don't. So, I'm betting that none of those combination named people exist, minus of course the dearly departed Elizabeth Montgomery. She's not a combination name though," Fin pointed out.

"Maybe it is. What if our vic's real name has either Elizabeth or Montgomery in it?" Elliot wondered.

"Ok but how do we start anything with that?" Fin asked.

"I have no idea. Maybe missing persons? Until the DNA and fingerprints are run, that's the only thing I can think of," Stabler frowned.

"Call Kenny and find out how the parents visit went. Something tells me, not as Munch planned it," Tutuola shook his head as they stopped at the red light. They were only about ten minutes out from the precinct, but Elliot figured that his temporary partner was right. They could be walking into something.

"Hey Kenny," Elliot didn't get any more words out as the young detective just started rattling things off.

"Hang on, I'm putting you on speaker. Now start over," Elliot told him.

"Ok, so Sarah Marvin's parents are really confused and so are Munch and I. He contacted her parents because all of her stats seemed to match someone who had been reported as missing but…" Kenny trailed off.

"But she wasn't their daughter, was she?" Fin asked.

"You know how sometimes the parents refuse to admit it to themselves, well both parents refused to believe it was their daughter. When Munch started showing them more pictures and explained, the more adamant they became. He took them to see Melinda," Kenny said.

"Well we found medicines with a second name on them and apparently one of the ID's in the purse had a third different name on it. We're wondering if our "Sarah" was stealing identities of missing people or just using fake names to hide from someone," Elliot told him.

"So maybe the guy that TARU identified from the facial recognition is the guy she was hiding from. He popped in the system. Multiple arrests – assault, battery, larceny. Not a good dude. Goes by the name of Jeff Haggerty. Nothing popped in his history with Sarah Marvin so I'm not sure why he'd be looking for her. Cabot won the legal battle so I could use some help heading over to the hospital," Kenny admitted.

"Be there in five and we'll all go. Something really weird is going on and my guess is that the hospital knows a lot more than they were saying. How'd your talk go?" Fin wondered, hoping that the younger man was going to be ok after his evaluation.

"As good as could be expected, I guess. I don't know how you tell," Kenny said. Valentino said that she'd be back to talk to Munch after her afternoon appointment. The younger detective didn't know the appointment was with Olivia.

"I think we all feel that way. See you in a few," with that the phone call was over. Elliot sent a quick text to his normal partner to let her know they were heading to the hospital. He wasn't sure when he'd be back to see her. She didn't respond but he expected her to be with the shrink, so it was no big deal. That's when Elliot's phone rang and he picked it up.

"Hey Stabler, we have a bit of a situation," it was Munch.

"Yeah, Sarah Marvin isn't Sarah Marvin," Elliot said.

"Where are you?" Munch wanted to know.

"We're picking up Kenny and heading to the hospital," Elliot told him.

"Meet you there," Munch said.


	18. Chapter 18

Munch made it to the hospital and joined his fellow detectives near the psychiatric ward. They walked into an empty patient room for a quick conference.

"So, Sarah Marvin is not Sarah Marvin. Melinda showed the Marvins the body and they both denied it was her. Mr. Marvin even offered a DNA sample to compare to the body. Melinda and the lab are working on it. I got missing persons and the fraud divisions to step in and take all the information that the Marvins could give them. Our vic probably stole Sarah Marvin's identity," Munch explained.

"Our vic was smart. The prescriptions came from three different clinics around the city. They take people who don't have insurance. They wouldn't do a check for social security numbers or anything," Stabler said.

"So, a few fakes IDs and our victim is off to the races," Kenny shook his head.

"Who needs three fake IDs? Why is her apartment got enough bodily fluids to choke a sailor on leave? How'd she get so lucky to look a lot like the actual Sarah Marvin?" Fin wanted to know.

"Well making money on her back would be one way. Must have advertised her services. As far as her looks… I have no idea," Munch said.

"Where did she advertise? It's not exactly like she could take out an ad in the newspaper. They're supposed to report that kind of stuff," Kenny raised an eyebrow.

"Ok when we're done here, I want her landlord tracked down," the Sergeant told them. Quickly, they broke up and headed out to finish talking to the hospital staff. With any luck, they'd get some sort of information from them.

"How are you feeling today Olivia?" Doctor Valentino asked. The detective had come in for her appointment. She had felt her phone buzz, but she didn't answer it.

"Well a little better but I'm struggling – I don't want to go down the rabbit hole but it's calling to me and I'm doing everything I can to fight it," Olivia admitted. There was a lot to unpack here and the psychiatrist took her time.

"Rabbit hole?" Valentino wanted to know.

"Anything that happens to be in a bottle," Olivia still wasn't entirely clear, but her point got across.

"It's not uncommon. Many people think they can bury how they feel in a bottle, but I think we both know that doesn't work," she said.

"I know it doesn't work. I promised myself, I'd never do that but the first chance I got, I did it," Olivia heaved a sigh.

"But you knew that you were in trouble so what did you do?" Valentino asked.

"I had the one thing my mother refused to ask for – help," the detective couldn't help by smile. It was a moment that the doctor was glad to see.

"Why would your mother not ask for help?" She was pressing the envelope and she knew it, but she had to try and dig.

"Out of bounds doctor," Olivia shook her head.

"Why? I thought you wanted to feel better," Valentino said.

"I do but my mother has little to do with what happened in the bull pen," the detective said.

"But she obviously had an effect on your handling of said issue," the psychiatrist told her.

"More of a road map of what not to do," Olivia heaved a sigh.

"I think that you would benefit from talking about your mom. Of course, that discussion would be for another day. As far as you going back to work, I'm basically the only thing standing in your way. That being said. I'd like a few more sessions before I clear you. Tucker has told me that you have quite a bit of vacation time and I think you could use some of it while we dig a little deeper," Valentino said.

"He really said that?" Olivia was surprised.

"I think he wants you back at close to one hundred percent and that is certainly what I want. I would assume that you want that too," the psychiatrist said.

"I do," the brunette nodded.

"Then next time we'll try and go over some more," Valentino didn't get specific, but the detective figured it meant digging into why she shot Jenna where she did.


	19. Chapter 19

There was a knock on Olivia's door and she headed over to it, knowing who it would be out in the hallway. Smiling, she let her partner in and he smiled back before toeing off his shoes and shrugging off his jacket.

"I really should get you a key," she said as she headed back into the kitchen. Elliot froze, not sure how to respond to that. There were things he wanted to say… he just let it slide and moved into the living room and popped down on the couch.

Opening the fridge, Olivia grabbed him a beer and pulled out the leftover pizza. Tossing the leftovers into the oven to warm up, she moved into the living room, where she handed him his drink. He noted that she had apparently gone out shopping.

"While I would appreciate that, this is only until I find myself a place," Elliot said as she sat down next to him on the couch.

"You make it sound so easy. How are you going to find a place that will have room for the kids and be within your budget?" Olivia wanted to know.

"Well as Kathleen pointed out – Dickie and Lizzie are almost eighteen, so I really only need an extra room for Eli," he told her.

"Do they even like to be called Dickie and Lizzie anymore?" She asked.

"No. I just can't seem to break the habit," Elliot admitted.

"So, we're not going to talk about the visit I had today?" Olivia addressed the elephant in the room. Her partner swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry. Let me guess, she assumed you and I were shacking up together," he said.

"I think she's thought that from the moment I became your partner," Olivia said.

"Probably. So, what did you say?" Elliot asked.

"Told her that the only reason I'm functioning right now is because of your help and that you've taken up residence on my couch. I may have pointed out that you wouldn't be on my couch if she would have let you back in the house to grab some personal things. That didn't seem to satisfy her. I really thought that after I helped her and Eli that we'd be on better terms," she admitted.

"Yeah, you will always be a threat. You're smart, funny, good looking, and you've always been good to her and to the kids. Also, you basically were being the bigger woman by taking her to her doctor's appointment because I was out on that call. Then you saved her and Eli. I mean really you're hard to compete with," the words just tumbled out and after he said them, he wondered how she would react.

"Well I am quite the catch," Olivia chuckled before heaving herself off the sofa, obviously letting his comments roll off her back. It was almost an automatic reaction. The oven timer was ringing, and she didn't want the pizza to get burnt. Pulling it out of the oven, she split the four leftover slices on a couple of plates and brought them over.

"I'm starving. Thanks," he smiled, taking one of the plates from her.

"Welcome. So how goes the case?" She shifted gears without blinking. Making herself comfortable, she tucked into her pizza.

"All over the map. Pretty sure our girl stole Sarah Marvin's identity and used a couple of aliases and fake IDs to survive. Also, pretty sure that she was running some sort of brothel out of her apartment. I thought Fin was going to barf when the techs used the black light in the bedroom," Elliot told her.

"Ok so she's totally trying to live under the radar but manages to use her own place as a brothel? Odd," Olivia commented, wiping her mouth on a napkin that had been left on the coffee table from the night before.

"That's what we thought. Cabot managed to win her legal battle about the hospital staff and we finally got to talk to them. Turns out a nurse recognized our visitor – Jeff Haggerty. He had come to visit Sarah before she was moved to the psychiatric unit. Given that she was unconscious for the bulk of the time before the move, we're thinking that she was either running from Haggerty or he might have been her pimp. Anyway, Melinda is running the victim's DNA and fingerprints through the system to see if she pops as a missing person. Kenny and Munch checked in with the landlord and found that Sarah always paid the rent in cash. Paid her utility bills with money orders from the post office," he explained before eating some pizza.

"So, she was really off the grid. Not easy to do in this day and age," Olivia frowned, drinking some of her iced tea, which she'd been drinking before Elliot showed up.

"No, not at all. We think it helped that she looked a lot like the actual Sarah Marvin," her partner said.

"Back up a tick. No one who knew the actual Sarah Marvin noticed activity on any of her personal numbers? How the heck did she rent an apartment without some sort of real ID? Not every landlord does background checks, but you can be damn sure they do a credit check," she gave him a look.

"Right? So, we asked the landlord. He actually ran both - it came back mostly clean. When he asked her about the gaps, she told him that she left home because her father was abusive. He felt bad so he promised to not say anything. The bigger issue are the cops in Maine. Her folks had no idea that the landlord had run checks. Apparently, the cops weren't keeping an eye on things," he said before taking a swig of his beer.

"Well how long has the real Sarah Marvin been missing?" Olivia wanted to know.

"Kenny looked it up – could be the Maine cops didn't see the activity because Sarah Marvin has been missing for five years," Elliot admitted.

"So logically they figured she was dead. Ten bucks says they never got an alert from her bank or anything because any accounts she had were closed. The use of her social security number probably didn't get noticed right away. Did the FBI get involved in the case?" She wondered.

"Munch was trying to reach someone in the Bangor, Maine FBI office when I left," he said before polishing off the rest of the pizza on his plate.

"My guess is that it wasn't hard for this person to get Sarah's social security number. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she was a friend or family member," Olivia said.

"I'll text the detectives from missing persons and the fraud department. Maybe the Marvins didn't recognize her because of the shape she was in," Elliot nodded thoughtfully, placing his plate down on the coffee table and grabbing a napkin. He wiped his fingers and quickly whipped is phone out of his pocket and fired off a couple of text messages.

"Official cause of death?" She asked.

"Overdose of the painkillers they'd been giving her for her broken wrist. I would have liked to get her tox screen from when she was brought into the hospital, but we don't have a rape kit so…" he heaved a sigh. Olivia reached over and patted his knee before standing up and collecting the plates. She headed for the sink and put the plates inside.

"How'd your appointment go?" It was Elliot's turn to switch topics.

"Well, I think. She tried to dig into my relationship with my mother. I'm not about to give the department ammunition though," Olivia said as she moved back to the sofa and sat down.

"It might not hurt to get everything out in the open. Besides, Valentino can't actually share all the details with the brass," he said.

"If I appear too damaged, they won't let me back on the force. This psych eval is now the only thing preventing me from going back to work. I can't lose my job. It's the only thing I have," she shook her head. Elliot reached over and took her hands in his.

"No, it isn't," his eyes seemingly bored a hole into her soul. He meant what he said.

"El…" there was hesitation.

"Liv, I'm here. Let me be everything you need," his words were barely above a whisper.

"We… I…" she was flustered.

"Just let me be everything you need. I can be what you need," he wasn't going to pressure her into anything, but he wanted her to open up. He wanted her to be able to release all that weighed her down. The words for just how he was feeling could come later.

"El…" again she started but this time, her words were stopped by Elliot's lips on her cheek. It was a signal that he was in no rush. There was no pressure. Just love. As he pulled away from her, she stopped him, having pulled her right hand free. It found his cheek and he leaned into it, turning to kiss her palm.

"All in – no halfway. I can't do halfway," she whispered.

"Never anything less than one hundred percent," he promised.


	20. Chapter 20

Elliot practically waltzed into the precinct the next morning. He hadn't felt this good in years. Suddenly everything seemed brighter and that was an odd feeling. He and Olivia hadn't admitted much to each other and had basically spent the night just together – almost like normal. The big difference was that his partner had let him hold her and she had also let him sleep in her bed – fully clad in pajamas – no hankie pankie. It almost felt like they were an old married couple, which was a big step up for them.

Olivia had made it fully clear that even though Kathy had initiated the divorce and that this one would stick, she would not be used as ammunition. Elliot and Kathy weren't legally separated or anything given the divorce announcement had come only days prior and Olivia did not want to be the other woman. Kathy could use their relationship to get full custody of Eli and that was something that the brunette did not want. The older kids could make up their own minds but Eli would get no say until quite a few years later. He had agreed. He'd been waiting quite a few years to tell Olivia how he felt and he wasn't about to mess things up now as they neared the finish line.

"Who put uppers in your coffee? Last time I checked our case is in the toilet," Fin gave Elliot a look as he sat down at his temporary desk.

"Liv had an idea and I figure that once I share said idea, the case might not be in such bad shape," Stabler explained.

"How's she doing?" Fin asked.

"Better. Hopefully she'll be cleared to come back to work soon," Elliot said.

"Ten hut!" The two men bolted out of their chairs only to see who had just barked the order.

"You sorry sacks are a sight for sore eyes," Cragen chuckled as they relaxed. Quickly they came over and shook his hand.

"We weren't sure when you were coming back," Elliot said.

"Neither was I until Tucker called last night. I've officially been cleared thanks to the work you guys and the rest of the squad did. Where are Munch and Kenny anyway?" The Captain wanted to know.

"Munch is down at the FBI building. I guess whatever the local office in Bangor, Maine dug up couldn't leave Federal Custody," Fin explained.

"I haven't heard from Kenny…" Elliot suddenly grew concerned. Cragen looked at his watch and realized what day it was.

"He'll be late. Today is his cousin Cathy's birthday," the Captain frowned. Cathy was the daughter of his Uncle, Lennie Briscoe. She'd been murdered by the drug dealer whom she testified against. Every year on her birthday, Kenny always swung by his Aunt's to give her flowers and to sit with her a little while. After Lennie died, his visits became all the more important for Kenny. His Aunt and Uncle may have been divorced but they still came together over the death of their daughter.

"Damn," Elliot shook his head. The group had taken Kenny under their wing as he was the most junior detective. He had a good nose for the work and felt he had big shoes to fill after his Uncle retired, even though Lennie worked out of the two-seven.

"Tucker told me that he's going to check in with Olivia this morning. While she's not cleared for duty yet, there are some things that are going to prevent her from joining us just yet," Cragen shifted topics.

"Why would Baby Girl not be able to join us?" Fin grew concerned and he could tell that Elliot was definitely concerned.

"Seems we're finally getting that office upgrade we'd been promised about eight years ago. Apparently all it takes is having a shooting to get the ball rolling," the Captain chuckled slightly at the irony of it all.

"So we're not moving back downstairs any time soon huh?" Elliot asked.

"Not for a few weeks, no. Tomorrow a crew is coming out and they will be demoing everything that made it look so homey. New paint, new furniture, new structure. It supposedly won't look anything like it used to," Cragen explained.

"No PTSD triggering moments is what they're aiming for," Fin said.

"Exactly. Can't have a trigger if you can't see the blood spots on the floor," the Captain said.

"How about that new coffee pot that Munch has been whining about?" Elliot asked.

"Hopefully it comes with the furniture. Now bring me up to speed," Cragen told them. Quickly the two detectives explained where they were at. Elliot added what Olivia had been thinking and the two men agreed. It would have been the best way for someone to gain access to the real Sarah Marvin's personal numbers. Cragen ordered Elliot to call missing persons to see what had been dug up and while he was on the phone, Munch strolled back into the temporary bullpen, a smirk on his face.

"Missing persons is sending over Detectives Raul and Sanchez. Apparently they have something they want to share. Munch, why do you look like the cat that ate the canary?" Elliot asked.

"Because I'm willing to bet that Raul and Sanchez figured out what I figured out. The reason I couldn't have the files shipped to the precinct is because there is still an active FBI case surrounding people close to the Marvins. Seems that one of their neighbor's kids went missing two days after Sarah and the FBI first thought that Sarah and this girl were kidnapped by the same perp. Problem was, this other girl's blood was found on some rocks near the ocean a few days after she disappeared. Thinking that maybe the timing of this apparent suicide was a little off, the Bongor office kept the file open. Agent Schimanski has been digging in his spare time and he thinks he might be onto something," the elder detective pulled two photos out of the file he held in his hands.

"They look familiar?" Munch showed his coworkers by placing the photos on the desk.

"Are they both Sarah?" Fin looked at the pictures of the teenagers, slightly confused.

"They look like they could be, don't they? That is so weird," Elliot said.

"Sarah is the one on the right. Her neighbor, Molly, is on the left. Molly is only a year younger than Sarah," Munch told them.

"How did the Marvins not recognize this as Molly?" Cragen wondered.

"Well if you'd been told she'd committed suicide, I'm not sure her name would come to mind," Munch said.

"So are you thinking that Molly murdered Sarah and took over her identity? Seems like a lot for a fourteen year old," Fin wasn't so sure.

"Well Agent Schimanski dug into Molly's family life. Seems her father was an abusive drunk, who died two years after Molly disappeared. He had a little accident with a tractor trailer. Her mother disappeared after that and Schimanski has been unable to locate her," his partner explained.

"So no one would actually be looking for Molly outside of Agent Schimanski and if she took over Sarah's life, then she'd be unaware of what happened with her parents. The question is, how did she know that Sarah wasn't coming back?" Elliot wondered. Munch put his finger on his nose.

"Bingo. Molly either killed Sarah or she watched someone else do it," the elder detective smirked.

"Fin, Munch, pack your bags. You're going up to Maine. Elliot, when Kenny comes back in, I want you two sitting down with the Marvins and missing persons. We need to get this straightened up now," Cragen said.


	21. Chapter 21

The next afternoon, Munch and Fin both climbed out of the rental car, glad to actually stretch their legs. They'd spent eight hours on a train to Brunswick, Maine from Penn Station. That was the end of the train line and from there to Bangor, it was an hour and forty-five minutes by car. They had been lucky to get into a parking spot in the lot directly across the road from the FBI office and quickly headed for the front door.

"New York City police? Aren't you guys a little far from home?" The receptionist asked when they flashed their badges. Fin set an evidence box on the counter.

"Well we heard the view was excellent up here from Agent Schimanski," Munch replied.

"Ah Agent Schimanski. I'll give him a ring and let him know you're here. Is he expecting you?" She wanted to know.

"We left him a message; said we were coming up as quick as we could. It has to do with his case, Sarah Marvin and Molly Sabatini," Munch said.

"Guess he forgot to mention it. All righty, one moment," the receptionist picked up the phone and quickly dialed the agent's extension. She wasn't on the phone for very long before hanging up.

"He said he'd be right down. Said you made good time," she chuckled.

"He's a laugh riot that Agent Schimanski," Fin mumbled. There were two reasons the detectives didn't fly to Bangor and the first was because the department wouldn't spring for it. The box of evidence that had made the trip cramping Fin's leg room on the train and taking up space in the trunk of their rental car, couldn't leave their sight and was too big to be considered a carry-on. So instead of a ninety-minute flight, they had spent almost ten hours working their way through the Amtrak transportation system. It wasn't as though the trip hadn't been nice but flying would have been much quicker.

"Detectives Munch and Tutuola, pleased to meet you," a man slightly younger than Munch but older than Fin walked up to them a few minutes later. He had salt and pepper hair and weighed about one hundred and seventy-five pounds – most of it muscle. The agent wasn't letting himself go as some older agents and police officers do.

"Agent Schimanski, nice to meet you. Can we have a chat?" Munch asked as they shook hands.

"Of course. Let's head up to my office," the agent said. The three got into the elevator and headed up to the third floor. Munch and Fin quickly brought him up to speed on what they thought was going on once they reached his office. Schimanski was interested in the photos and forensic reports they'd brought with them.

"You really think that Molly was together with it enough to fake her death at fourteen?" Schimanski wondered.

"Well to be honest, I think she figured that it was enough of a distraction so she could get away. She probably didn't think it would work so well," Fin said.

"Probably right. Truth be told, the local cops were more worried about Sarah Marvin than they were Molly. Molly's dad was a piece of work and the only person who paid attention to her was Sarah. Once she was gone, Molly probably did anything she could to get away. To be honest, I always figured that Mr. Sabatini probably killed her. The blood that we found wasn't enough to say that she was in fact dead, but when you get an abusive drunk angry, one punch and that could be enough to kill someone. Bleeding from a head wound, she gets tossed into the ocean, and we never find her body," the FBI agent figured.

"And once Mr. Sabatini was dead…" Munch heaved sigh.

"Yeah there was no push to convict a dead guy of killing his daughter. Mrs. Sabatini disappeared and to this day, I can't find her. Even she must have thought that her husband killed her daughter. I mean why else not stick around to try and find Molly?" Schimanski wondered.

"Good question," Fin nodded.

"So, you guys didn't come all the way up here just so we could go over stuff that we could have done over the phone," the FBI agent pointed out.

"No. We were wondering if we couldn't get some assistance looking at the old Sabatini property," Munch said.

"Like, 'Hi new owners, I'm the FBI and I'm looking for a dead body on your property' kind of help?" Schimanski asked.

"Some ground penetrating radar perhaps?" Fin nudged.

"Hmm… well we could ask politely. That might work. Don't have enough to bug a judge for a warrant," the FBI agent said.

"Do you think they'll go for it?" Munch wondered.

"When you tell people that they might have a body on their property, they tend to be more open to you looking for it. Well unless they buried it," Schimanski smirked.

"So how do we want to do this?" Fin asked.

"Why don't the three of us take a ride? We'll just ask real nice if a team can come over tomorrow for a quick scan," the agent suggested.

"And then maybe get some dinner?" Munch wondered. Schimanski chuckled and replied,

"I know just the place. As for your box of evidence, this is an official transfer correct?"

"Yes. We have copies back home. If it turns out that our victim is in fact Molly, it ties her to the disappearance of Sarah so it's a federal case," Fin nodded.

"I bet your Captain didn't want to give that up," Schimanski commented.

"You never want to give up a case, but you also didn't see the Marvins have to deal with the fact that the body in the morgue wasn't their daughter," Munch heaved a sigh. The FBI agent nodded – that was something no parent should have to do.

While Munch and Fin were on their travels, Olivia was back at Dr. Valentino's office. She knew what the psychiatrist was going to ask about and she really didn't want to dig deeper into it. Maybe Elliot had been right though. Maybe it would help.

"So, I'm guessing Tucker told you about the precinct's renovations," Valentino started from her seat in a comfortable armchair.

"Yes. Sounds like even if I wanted to go back, I'd have to wait," Olivia nodded from the armchair across from the doctor.

"Indeed. The one thing that we have to tackle is where you shot Jenna. It may have been the heat of the moment and before you knew it, Jenna was on the floor, but I'm not willing to believe that you wanted to kill Jenna," the doctor was cautious here, knowing if she pushed too hard, her patient might shut down.

"Jenna was wildly firing the gun. She didn't know how to use it. Her rage was just letting her react. Elliot was pinned down, trying to help Sister Peg. The guy next to Munch had been hit and Munch was trying to help him. Fin had tackled Kenny, getting him out of the way. All hell was breaking loose and when Jenna stops shooting, she stood there pointing her weapon at me. I wasn't the only one begging her to put the gun down. She wouldn't do it. I should have seen it coming. Jenna must have realized that I wouldn't shoot her unless she gave me a reason. She moved her finger and I just squeezed the trigger. I wasn't thinking about where the bullets were going, I just didn't want anyone else to get hurt," the irony of the last sentence wasn't missed by anyone in the room.

"But on some level, you knew that someone would have to get hurt in order to end it. Your family was in danger. You had to protect them. They had protected you and been there for you – something I'm guessing you didn't have growing up," Valentino went there. She had to see what would come next.

"I came from violence, so I reacted with violence," Olivia shook her head. She didn't want to go there but perhaps now there was no choice.

"I'd say you came out pretty good – many abuse victims don't have the strength to pull themselves out – but of course you already knew that," the doctor said.

"No, you didn't. The elephant is in the room. It's part of who I am. That is not going to change," Olivia pointed out.

"I'm not looking for change per se, I'm looking to heal. Sometimes you need to dig deeper in order to do so. Baby steps, one thing at a time," Valentino smiled. Olivia took a deep breath and began.


	22. Chapter 22

"What have we got?" Cragen asked Elliot when the detective entered his temporary office. Elliot and Kenny had been working with the Marvins and Missing Persons Detectives Raul and Sanchez for the last few hours. Elliot closed the office door before speaking,

"So Raul and Sanchez didn't want to bring it up in front of the Marvins but our weirdo in the hospital, Jeff Haggerty, this isn't the first time he's had people near him go missing."

"That didn't pop in his file," Cragen said.

"Well he wasn't arrested due to the disappearances. Just a person of interest," the detective clarified.

"So our violent guy may have bodies he's hiding. What's the status of finding him?" The Captain wanted to know.

"Nothing is popping on his bank account or in the system. There's still an APB out in the tristate area and his face has been sent to all the precincts, city-wide. Problem is, while Cabot had to do her wrangling of the hospital, this guy might have left town," Elliot frowned.

"Well if it turns out that our victim is indeed Molly Sabatini, the whole ball of wax goes to the Feds. Doesn't mean we won't still look for Haggerty, he could be guilty of local murders," Cragen told him.

"Yeah I kind of figured. I just wish I had better news to give the Marvins. I have a sneaking suspicion that their daughter has been dead for a while," Elliot said.

"Yeah, me too. Listen, when you're done, go home. No point in hanging around. Munch says that the current family living in Molly's old house gave them permission for a ground penetrating radar search but that won't be done until morning," Cragen said.

"Sounds good," Elliot nodded and headed out of the office.

"We're going to take the Marvins back to their hotel," Detective Sanchez spoke up as Stabler headed over to them.

"Ok sounds good. Thank you very much for all your help today, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin. I know it wasn't easy," Elliot said.

"We just want to know what happened," Mr. Marvin said.

"Well we hope that with Detectives Raul and Sanchez, we'll find something," Stabler smiled slightly.

"I'll take you down to the car," Detective Raul said, leaving his partner to check in with Elliot. The aforementioned detective explained to Sanchez what the Captain had found out. The look on Sanchez's face told him all he needed to know – the missing persons detective was having the same thoughts as he was. Molly was the dead girl in the morgue and Sarah had been dead for a while. Sanchez thanked him and then headed off to catch up to his partner.

"So we calling it?" Kenny asked, once Sanchez was gone.

"Yeah, head home. Hopefully Munch and Fin will have something in the morning," Elliot nodded. Kenny nodded before grabbing his coat and heading out of the makeshift bull pen. The senior detective pulled out his phone and called Olivia. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hey the Captain is sending us home. You need me to pick up dinner?" He asked.

"Yeah," she sounded like the day had been a long one.

"You ok?" He wanted to know.

"I will be," there was a little lift to her voice but it definitely wasn't the usual happy Olivia.

"See you soon," Elliot promised. He hung up and quickly dialed the local Chinese place. Hopefully, once she'd had a chance to explain everything to him, she'd feel better. Doctor Valentino's sessions had been emotionally draining but Elliot was convinced she'd be better for having them. Olivia had a tendency to internalize whereas he would blow up. Quickly heading out of the building, he hopped into the car and got a move on.


	23. Chapter 23

Munch, Fin, and Agent Schimanski arrived at the former home of the Sabatinis. The new family occupying the home was actually the second family to own it since the death of Mr. James Sabatini and the disappearance of his wife, Cassandra. Mrs. Susan Grinstein had wanted her kids to be at school before the FBI showed up. Agent Schimanski completely understood and the team had arrived after the school bus left.

"Do you guys want some coffee or anything?" Susan asked them as she watched from her back door as the FBI forensics team get set up in her backyard. She was about five foot six with graying brown hair and couldn't have weighed more than one hundred and fifty pounds. A single mom, she worked hard to provide for her teenagers, Samantha, fifteen, and Billy, fourteen.

"A cup would be swell. Again, we appreciate you helping us out," the FBI agent said.

"No problem Agent Schimanski," Susan smiled slightly.

"Please call me Joe," he smiled back.

"I'll help you with the coffee," Munch offered. Susan nodded and let the skinny older man help her out.

"So do you know of any changes made to the yard? You know like was there an old concrete pad somewhere or a well?" Munch wondered as he watched Susan put a pot of coffee on using her Mr. Coffee machine.

"No wells. Believe it or not, Bangor has been on public water since eighteen seventy-five," Susan said.

"That had to be a relief to know. I hear well water isn't so great," the detective said.

"At our old place, we only used it for washing clothes, dishes, and bodies. If you wanted drinking or cooking water, we bought it from the store," she nodded.

"Smart. Though you ate off the plates that were washed in well water," Munch said.

"Yes well we had a dishwasher. Needless to say, soap and one hundred and forty degree heat helps keep the dishes clean. I always washed in clothes in warm water, which was better than just the cold," Susan explained. Munch nodded as the smell of brewing coffee filled his lungs.

"That smells fantastic. The coffee we get in the city is terrible," he admitted.

"Bad water?" She wondered.

"Nope, mostly a machine that's older than I am," Munch smirked. Susan had a little chuckle but he could tell she was concerned.

"What if they find a body out there? I can't afford to move again," she told him.

"I'm sure that _if_ we find something that we'll figure something out for you and your kids," he tried to reassure her. Things like this didn't happen in the city so he had no idea what the procedure was.

"You think that Mr. Sabatini really killed this poor Sarah girl?" Susan asked.

"It's the best theory we have. No trace of Sarah has ever been found since she went missing and our victim back in the city was using her ID," Munch said. Susan nodded as she poured coffee for Agent Schimanski, herself, and Munch. Fin had declined and the forensics team couldn't eat or drink while they worked.

Heading back outside, Susan handed over the cup to the FBI agent and then ducked back into her house. Munch stood next to the agent and discussed what, if anything, that they could do for the Grinsteins, if a body was found. Typically, the FBI didn't give out money to relocate. When they did searches, such as these, and something was found, it was usually up to the home owner to move, if they wanted. However, Schimanski promised to look further into it, if a body was actually found.

"So what if we don't find anything?" Fin asked.

"We're dead in the water. No way to ID your body in the morgue since Molly's DNA isn't in the system and she has no living relative to check her DNA against. There wasn't much left of her father after the accident, so they cremated him. Her mother is in the wind, which to this day bothers me. I mean no one has heard from this woman since the death of her husband and I can't figure out how she vanished without ever applying for a credit card or attempting to rent an apartment. No activity on anything, even after it happened, is just…" the agent didn't get to finish as one of the forensics team came over. He was a tall lanky Asian man, who didn't look old enough to shave.

"We've got something. The soil has definitely been disturbed," the tech said.

"That was fast Simmons. Are you sure that it's a body?" Schimanski asked.

"No way to tell but the disruption is only about three feet down. We're going to start digging," the man said.

"All right. Have the rest of the yard scanned in case it comes up a dead pet," the FBI agent told him.

"I'm leaving Stephanie on the machine. She'll keep plugging away while we excavate," Simmons said before quickly heading off to get the team started.

"Only three feet down and so close to the front of backyard fence? Sounds like someone got lazy burying the dead hamster," Munch said. The spot was only about ten feet from the back door.

"Or was dragging a teenage body and that was as far as their drunk ass could carry her," Fin frowned.

"Fin has a point. I'm drunk, I have to get rid of the evidence before the wife gets home, I put her in the closest and easiest spot. Then tell her some wild animal must have been digging around in the backyard," Schimanski said.

"And she believes him?" Munch raised an eyebrow.

"Guy was a mean drunk. Probably thought it was better not to question him," Fin said. Munch nodded. Hours would pass before they had something in the hole that the forensics team had started digging. In that time, Stephanie had marked at least two other places in the yard with disturbances.

"We're not going to be done by the time the kids get off the school bus. I'll talk to Susan," Schimanski said. He was about to head into the house when Simmons called out to stop him.

"We've got bigger problems. This just became a crime scene." There in the first pit, was a skull beginning to stick out of the dirt. One the other end, another technician had found feet.

"Yes we do," Schimanski nodded before heading inside to tell Susan the news.


	24. Chapter 24

After eating dinner, Elliot had wanted to ask Olivia what happened at Valentino's office, but he knew better than to push. He also made a point of grabbing an iced tea, even though he would have preferred a beer. Since Olivia had bought the beer, he'd been concerned what had happened previously would happen again, but it had not. Her willpower was strong, and he felt like she had bought the drinks for him, because he was staying with her. It had been a gesture, despite what she had gone through. Even when she should have been focusing on herself, she was focused on others.

They snuggled on the couch, watching some TV, when it happened. It started with a sniffle and Elliot reached down to the coffee table and grabbed the box of tissues. She took one and blew her nose. He turned off the TV and turned to her.

"You told her?" was all he asked.

"I did," was all she said. There was a lot of exhaustion behind her eyes. Elliot stood up and put out his hand. She took it and he pulled her off the couch. Heading down the hallway, he laid down on the bed and she followed suit. Pulling her to him, they just held each other, and for the first time, since the incident, he felt her relax.

Susan and the kids had been sent to a hotel, the night before, so they did not know what was found in the backyard. It was also a legal precaution and standard procedure; even if they were sure the long dead Mr. James Sabatini was the culprit. By the end of yesterday, the forensic team had uncovered what would appear to be a teenage girl's skeleton with bits of clothing. There was no ID or purse found with the body so dental records and DNA would be the only ways to make a positive identification.

The new day brought a second forensic team to go with the first. Each team was given one of the two remaining locations that Stephanie had indicated the day before. Munch stood outside watching the team work on location number two, which was a little further back in the lawn. Meanwhile, Agent Schimanski talked with the local coroner, Doctor Robert Dillard. The medical man had received the bones the FBI had retrieved the previous day and was holding them until the forensic anthropologist arrived. Doctor Camille Sanders was foremost in her field and had worked for the FBI on a regular basis. She was due in later in the day.

Doctor Dillard's preliminary conclusion was that the victim was indeed a female and that she'd been struck by a vehicle given the damage to the bones. Doctor Sanders would be able to properly date the bones and pick out details as she reviewed the bones. She was also in charge of collecting the DNA samples and having x-rays taken of the teeth.

"So, what did the Captain have to say?" Munch asked as Fin approached him from inside the house. His partner had called back to the precinct to give Cragen an update.

"He said that we're to stay until the entire yard is dug up and until they confirm the body, we found yesterday was Sarah Marvin. Once that is done, our case is officially FBI. Should the body be somebody else, that's the local cops' problem," Fin said.

"He doesn't want us back on the double?" The elder detective was surprised.

"No hits on Jeff Haggerty. He's seemingly vanished. Elliot and Kenny are catching up on their fives and it sounds like the construction crew was really going at it," his partner told him.

"Ah. Any word on Liv?" Munch wanted to know.

"Cap says he talked to her. She wants back in, but they won't clear her until the construction is complete. Sounds like they're making her use all those vacation days that she stockpiled," Fin said. Munch nodded and that's when Simmons called over to them. The two detectives worked closer to the front of the pit, where the technician was standing.

"What have you got?" Tutuola asked.

"This would appear to be a dog. Did the Grinsteins have a dog?" Simmons wanted to know.

"Susan said they didn't since her husband passed, which did not happen at this house," Munch clarified.

"I don't remember anyone mentioning that the Sabatinis having one either," Fin frowned before calling over to Agent Schimanski and Doctor Dillard. The two came over and everyone could see that the FBI agent was confused.

"The Sabatinis didn't have a dog, did they?" Munch asked.

"Another victim of Mr. Sabatini?" Fin wondered.

"Probably," Schimanski shook his head.

"The poor creature looks like it had been hit by a car. Look at all those fractures," Doctor Dillard frowned as he examined the body. He then pulled out his cell phone to call a local veterinarian that he knew so they could get confirmation.

"Agent Schimanski! We need you over here!" A cry went up only a few minutes later. The second forensic team that had joined the search had obviously found something. Quickly, the two detectives, agent, and coroner headed over to question the new team leader, Felicity.

"Is that what I think it is?" Schimanski asked, looking into the pit that had been dug close to the back fence.

"Definitely not an animal," Munch shook his head. The bones in the hole were quite clearly human.

"I thought you said that Mrs. Sabatini went missing after her husband died," Fin said.

"She did…" but that didn't sound like a confident answer coming from the FBI agent.

"If that's not Mrs. Sabatini, then who else could it be?" Munch raised an eyebrow.

"You've got a problem because unlike the poor girl and the dog, this victim wasn't hit by a vehicle," Doctor Dillard spoke up, examining the still partially buried skull.

"Not unless cars have learned to shoot guns," Felicity nodded.


	25. Chapter 25

Munch and Fin trudged back into the precinct two days later, near quitting time. Elliot saw the looks on their faces and he knew that things were not good. He didn't press however as the Captain had seen them coming in from his office and decided to broach the subject.

"The teenage body was confirmed to be Sarah Marvin. The dog we found was confirmed to be a neighbor's. Poor thing happened to be in the front yard when Mr. Sabatini was driving home, whacking mailboxes off," Munch started.

"How'd they find that out?" Elliot interrupted.

"A neighbor down the block knew the family that owned the dog. The family had moved out of the neighborhood some time ago. Anyway, the lady recognized the collar that was in the hole. She said that poor Max had a bad habit of getting out of the backyard and it wasn't always when the family was home. She could remember more than once, multiple mailboxes being knocked down during the summer," Fin filled in.

"So Sabatini killed the dog and buried it in his yard? Dude was cold. Killing people and animals and just burying them in the backyard," Kenny shook his head.

"It gets worse," Fin heaved a sigh and plopped down at his desk. They all gave him a look while Munch took up the story.

"There was another human in the yard. Didn't use a car on this one though," the elder detective said.

"Who could it be?" Cragen wanted to know.

"Best guess is Cassandra Sabatini. Agent Schimanski never actually spoke to her but had been told that the local cops did. Apparently, the local cops couldn't find who actually gave the death notification anywhere in their records. So when Schimanski tried to speak to the now widow, a little while later, and she never picked up her phone, he figured she bolted.

"A week later, he got a call from the local police. A neighbor had reported Cassandra missing. With Sarah missing, two Sabatini's presumed dead, and now the third was missing, the local cops called him for help. They searched the house and found that Cassandra's purse was missing and not much else. No evidence of foul play. No messages left to say where she was going. Nothing," Munch explained.

"How'd she die?" Elliot asked.

"Bullet to the back of the head," Fin shook his head.

"Good grief," Kenny said.

"I'm glad that we handed that off to the Feds. We're sending Molly's body back to Maine. Hopefully, they can match the DNA from the body in the backyard to Molly and confirm both identities. Now all that is left to do is find Jeff Haggerty and gift wrap him for Agent Schimanski," the Captain said.

"No luck on finding this guy?" Munch raised an eyebrow.

"Basically, the Chief of D's gave us the next three days and then we're to let the APB out in the tristate area do the rest of the work. There are other cases and now that the Feds are on this, we can move off," Cragen explained.

"Why not just hand him over now? I mean why do we need to find him?" Fin asked.

"The Commissioner is trying to play nice with the local FBI office. Let's face it. We dropped a cluster on Agent Schimanski and anything to smooth things over, could help us in the future," the Captain said.

"Schimanski promised to keep us posted. If we're doing it for him, then let's do it," Munch nodded.

"Good. Now all of you go home. Get some sleep. We'll start fresh in the morning. That way everyone is on the same page," with no extra nudging required, the team dispersed. Olivia sent him a text as he was leaving – _"On your way?" "Heading out now. Big plans?"_ He responded. _"Dangerous ones. I dusted off the pots and pans,"_ she responded. _"Uh oh,"_ Elliot teased. He smirked and climbed into the car, now looking forward to seeing what she was up to.


	26. Chapter 26

"That was amazing. Why don't you cook more?" Elliot asked as they cleaned up the dishes from the kitchen table. The detective was sure that he'd eaten half of the loaf of garlic bread by himself. Olivia had bought a fresh loaf of Italian bread and then made it into cheesy garlic bread. She'd also made a salad to go with their pasta dish.

"When was the last time I was home at a decent hour and it was more than just me? Also, pretty sure you're buttering me up. This had to have been the first time I've cooked since…" she paused.

"Calvin?" He wondered.

"Yeah. Kid loved his baked spaghetti," Olivia gave a tight smile and moved toward the sink, putting the dishes in there. Without another word, she started the water in order to fill the sink and let some of the saucier items soak for a little bit. Elliot was a little upset that he'd managed to ruin what had been a nice moment, but she turned to him with a smile on her face. He wondered if she was just plastering it on.

"So, what about your kids? How are they? I haven't heard from Kathy since the impromptu visit," she said, moving back toward the table to grab her iced tea.

"She's been quiet, too quiet. The kids seem to have already accepted it minus Eli of course. Maybe that will change when I get to see him this weekend," he told her before whipping out his cell phone and showing the message that he'd received from Kathy.

"Planning on having the case wrapped up by then?" Olivia wondered.

"Don't have a choice," Elliot said before quickly bringing her up to speed.

"Geez. I guess that tractor trailer did the world a favor," she shook her head upon hearing what kind of man James Sabatini was.

"Definitely a public service, if we can call it that. Only problem is we'll never know why he killed with a gun. Especially since a car seemed to be his favorite weapon," her partner frowned.

"I bet that the family will be glad to know what happened to their loved one though. I don't envy Agent Schimanski or the poor family who has been living with a graveyard out the back of their house," Olivia shook her head as they made their way to the couch with their drinks.

"Yeah I don't either. So how are you doing? Did you have a good day?" He asked, settling in next to her on the sofa.

"It's too quiet. I'm beginning to realize that I don't have any hobbies, or I've just never had time to develop them. Going to the grocery store in the middle of the day was weird," Olivia admitted.

"Weird, like how?" Elliot was confused.

"Well I usually just swung by a bodega on my way home for anything I needed really quick. Usually, it wasn't a big deal. Actually, stocking up my cupboards at a store, was odd," she explained. Rarely ever had Olivia gone shopping in a large store. Her mother wasn't known to keep the cupboards stocked and the small local little stores were where a young Olivia spent her time. The pattern continued as she got older, mostly because of her job.

"I bet getting the Mustang out felt good though huh? I can't believe you'd been holding out on me," Elliot teased her. The vintage car had been a spur of the moment thing and despite not getting to drive it often, Olivia did enjoy the car.

"It was nice to make sure it was working and I was able to get everything we needed. Speaking of us, you can't exactly claim my place as your address with the department, so I took the liberty of grabbing the housing listing paper while I was at the store," she pointed to the paper on the edge of the coffee table.

"I was wondering what that was for. Want me out so soon huh?" Elliot asked.

"No, but like I said, once the divorce becomes public, you can't use my address. Not unless you want Tucker on your ass faster than Cragen can cover our butts," she pointed out. The Captain had definitely taken the brunt of some of their actions before.

"Yeah, let's not start that, especially since I'll need to be able to pay rent. Kind of hard to do without a job," he nodded.

"Plus you should probably look somewhere that you wouldn't need to move again. I mean let's be honest, the kids will mostly be out on their own, with the exception of Eli, and I'm not sure how you feel about custody sharing but I'm imagining Kathy won't give up without a fight on that. So maybe a two bedroom apartment? Something may be in between work and Eli?" She suggested.

"You do realize that you almost described your own place right? I mean the only difference being the number of bedrooms of course," he pointed out.

"I don't think I'm halfway between work and Queens," Olivia gave him a look. She was right of course, he was just being silly.

"Well any place would really need to be between you, Queens, and work. I mean I can't exactly expect either one of us to trudge halfway across the city to spend the night," Elliot said.

"Thinking that far ahead huh?" She gave him a look.

"I was told halfway wouldn't work so better make sure I can be all in," he winked at her before scooping up the paper from the end of the coffee table.

"What will your kids think?" The question wasn't finished but he knew what she meant.

"Kathleen already told me to get with the program so I don't think you have to worry about her. I haven't had much of a chance to speak to Maureen, just in general. It's all been texting. As for Dickie and Lizzie…" he trailed off.

"What do they actually like to be called now? I mean we should probably get with the program as you say with that," she pointed out.

"Dick and Liz, yes you're right. They seem to be handling the divorce differently than I expected. Being younger, I don't think they really got a chance to see Kathy and me without the whole arguing thing. The older girls can remember a time without it," Elliot said.

"What do you mean differently?" Olivia was confused.

"Well Liz isn't overly upset, possibly because the bulk of her friends' parents are divorced, but Dick, he seems angry. I thought we were in a better place after Shane's death but I guess not. Once he turns eighteen, I can't stop him from joining the Army and he may do it," he told her.

"I wouldn't say that's the worst thing he could do. I mean you joined the Marines when you were young. Maybe the structure and discipline will help. Or maybe he won't join up and he was just doing that because Shane was going to. Dick might need his space and some time to process it all. It's weird for them, they ended up being the middle children, so he might see you two splitting up as another way for you to leave, even though you aren't going that far," Olivia pointed out.

"We miss you at work. We all could use your advice and viewpoint," Elliot admitted. Often Olivia had the cooler head when it came toward dealing with things and she offered different perspectives which had often led to the high solve rate of the unit.

"I miss you guys. Once the office is back in shape, I don't see Doctor Valentino keeping me away. She is using this as a good time to make sure I'm fit," she told him.

"I have to say I was impressed that you bought beer and didn't drink any of it. I also wanted to say, don't think you need to make sure we have some lying around. If you don't feel comfortable, then I drink iced tea from here to eternity," he said.

"I just need to make sure I don't let myself go down the rabbit hole. I know the Captain has had his issues and I think I better understand them now. I'm getting help and I'm feeling better. Besides I have you to watch my six," Olivia smiled.

"And the rest of you," Elliot teased.


	27. Chapter 27

Elliot plopped into his chair the next morning and realized that Kenny was half asleep on his desk. Fin was late and Munch was in with the Captain. The elder detective chucked a pencil at the younger man and it hid him on the crown of his head.

"Late night?" Elliot asked.

"My idiot neighbors. I gotta move," Kenny shook his head.

"Join the club," Elliot frowned.

"Kathy kick you out?" Kenny wondered.

"Seems the divorce talk is no longer talk. I've been instructed that I'm not welcome at home," Stabler told him.

"Geez. Sorry man. Where are you staying?" Kenny asked.

"With Liv for now. Her couch is much comfier than I thought it would be," his temporary partner said.

"How are the kids handling it?" Briscoe wanted to know.

"Each one differently. Though I'm not sure Eli would understand it, exactly," Elliot admitted.

"You tell the Captain?" Kenny asked.

"Nope, I was going to do that. What's Munch doing in there anyway?" His partner wondered.

"I have no idea. He was in there when I got here. As for Fin, I think he has court today," Briscoe filled him in. Elliot nodded and then noted that Munch was exiting the Captain's office, with the Captain in tow.

"Kenny, head out with Munch. We have a possible lead on Jeff Haggerty. Local precinct will meet you out there. Elliot, a word?" Cragen asked. Stabler nodded and headed into the Captain's office as the other two headed out of the precinct.

"I got a call from One PP. Seems that they got a request to know more about your pension and benefits. They wanted to know if I knew my best detective was going to be a problem. They don't want anything coming up later, especially since the shrink cleared you," Don gave him a look as he took a seat behind his desk.

"Kathy told me not to come home. She wants a divorce and she's not wavering this time. It's not like last time," Elliott admitted as he sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. He neglected to mention that he'd already known for days. The Captain shook his head.

"Where are you staying?" Don asked.

"Liv has graciously allowed me to use her couch until I find a place," Elliot told him. Another lie. They'd been sharing her bed although not for anything physical – other than sleeping. Of course, he couldn't come out and say he was in love with his partner and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.

"Find one quickly. The last thing I need is to have my other detectives dragged into your divorce proceedings because Kathy thinks you were cheating on her with Liv," Cragen said.

"Kathy already showed up at Liv's place before she told me we were through. Liv set her straight but I don't think she'll ever believe it. I mean, Liv saved her and Eli, and Kathy still thinks I might have been shacking up with her," Elliot shook his head.

"Half of One PP and this precinct think the same thing. You two share a connection that not many will ever share. Somehow you seem to be able to read each other's minds. Well you've also been partners the longest time of anyone in this precinct. Hell, possibly the entire NYPD. I don't think Lennie ever had a partner for that long," the Captain pointed out, mentioning Kenny's Uncle who had also been a detective under him back at the two-seven.

"Well I'll let you know where I land. Hopefully, I can find a place soon," Stabler said.

"I hope so. Meantime, if this lead pans out, you'll be backing up Munch and Kenny. Someone claims to have seen Haggerty at a bodega. Called it in, the minute he left the store. Not sure where he'd be staying around the bodega since there is nothing over there with his name on it but maybe Molly's situation wasn't a unique one. Forensics is still having a heyday with all that stuff you found in her apartment. They handed most of it over to the FBI lab, hoping that it could be sorted out better by them," Cragen told him.

"I'll be ready then if the boys call," Elliot nodded.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying the story. I'm not sure I'll be able to post next week, just so you know.

Olivia sat in the diner down the block from her place, staring out the window, while not really seeing what was going by. She felt like she needed to get out of the apartment, even if it was only down the street. Of course she also had another appointment with Doctor Valentino. Despite her original concerns, speaking with the doctor had been helpful.

"Fancy meeting you here," a familiar voice caused Olivia to turn her head, only to find Kathleen Stabler along with her sister Maureen.

"Girls! It's good to see you," she smiled and indicated they should slide into the other side of the booth.

"Good to see you too. How are you?" Kathleen wanted to know.

"Ok. I have another appointment with the department shrink in a little while. What brings you to this neck of the woods? Don't say it's for the cheeseburgers either," Olivia said.

"Well I do love the cheeseburgers but we were on our way to see you when Maur spotted you from the street," the younger Stabler child explained.

"Me? Don't you two have actual lives? Shouldn't you be at school or work?" Olivia raised an eyebrow, concerned they were taking time out of what they should be doing for her.

"Pretty sure that we need to have this talk, without Dad around," Kathleen told her. It did not escape Olivia that Maureen had been silent.

"That sounds a little ominous. Is something wrong? You guys need something?" The older woman asked.

"We need to know your intentions," those were the first words that Maureen spoke.

"Intentions? Well hopefully get back to work soon. But you mean with regards to your Dad, don't you?" Olivia wondered.

"I already gave him my blessing," Kathleen said.

"He told me that. I just want to say, no matter what happens, I appreciate that," the detective told her.

"Are you in love with him?" Maureen wanted to know. Olivia wasn't sure how she should phrase it. Maureen was obviously not sure how much she liked everything that was going on. The detective was about to answer her when she got a text. Grabbing her phone, she looked at it.

"Speak of the devil," she murmured.

"Dad?" Kathleen wondered.

"Looks like he is going to back up Munch and Kenny. He wanted to wish me luck with my appointment," there was a smile on her face as she quickly thanked him and wished him luck, leaving out the fact that the girls were there.

"I think that smile says it all," Kathleen smirked.

"Look your Dad and I have a connection, one that I've never had with anyone else in my life. He and I have shared our work and that was all. I did all I could do to help you and the family. Make sure that I was there for you. I am sorry that it has come to this. I truly am," Olivia said.

"That didn't really answer my question," Maureen pointed out.

"No, but I felt it needed to be said. Also, my feelings really don't matter. What matters is you guys and how you're doing. If you don't like the idea of me and your Dad exploring what exists between us, then we just go back to what we've always been, partners. I'll not get between him and you or you and your mother. That has never been my intention," she told them.

"You would do that?" Maureen gave her look.

"I would," there was no hesitation there. Olivia was not about to drive a wedge between Elliot and his kids. Maureen smiled and nodded before saying,

"I would never ask you to do that."

"I know but I would give you that option, should you want it," Olivia smiled.

"I think that settles it. Now how about that cheeseburger?" Kathleen asked. This caused the three women to laugh as Olivia flagged down the waitress.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go. Thanks so much for reading!

"You seem to be in a good mood," Olivia smirked as she watched him pop his shoes off and hang up his jacket. She had just finished pouring herself a glass of iced tea. It was approaching seven pm and dinner was sounding like a good idea.

"Oh I am. We snared Jeff Haggerty and handed him over to the Feds," Elliot smiled as he walked up to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, careful not to spill her drink.

"How'd you manage that? I thought he'd gone underground," she said.

"Well it seems that he couldn't get enough of the local cuisine and the store owner thought he'd recognized him from the alert. Haggerty came in one time with a girl, who goes by Precious, that he recognized as a regular customer. He made a point of watching them leave to see what building she went into. The local precinct figured out who she was and called us.

"After Munch and Kenny confirmed the suspicions of the local precinct and the store owner, I helped bag him. We now know what he was up to and why he was hanging out with poor Precious," that's when his face fell. Olivia knew what was coming next wasn't good. She moved in his arms and he let go. They both moved to the couch and Olivia let him continue the story as she set down her iced tea on the coffee table.

"How bad is it?" She asked.

"Haggerty was basically using her for sex and farming her out to his buddies and the other clients that Molly had been 'entertaining'," Elliot shook his head.

"How'd she get into that situation?" Olivia wanted to know.

"Precious was working out on the street and one night Haggerty picks her up for a date. He tells her that he can get her out of her current occupation – or rather at least a safer version of it. He'd chose the clients and make sure that they didn't hurt her. They'd use her apartment as their base of operations, and she wouldn't have to freeze her backside off or have to perform tricks in alleys or cars. He claimed she'd make more money and not have to worry about getting beat up. When Precious asked how he'd get her pimp off her back, he only smirked, and told her to leave that to him. Unsure if he was serious or crazy, she hesitated. Haggerty told her to think on it but tell no one. He'd be back in two days for her reply. Basically, he then drove her back to her spot and paid her even though they didn't do anything but talk. Unable to get the idea of working from home out of her head and the thought of not getting beat up by her pimp, Precious agreed to Haggerty's proposal. Needless to say, Haggerty only kept part of his promise. She did make more money and he did make sure the clients didn't abuse her, but Haggerty beat her. Not sure how to get out of the situation, Precious was just dealing with it. She was about to go to the cops when Haggerty moved into her place. With no way out, she got lucky the shop keeper called the cops," he explained.

"So, he must have been going between Molly and Precious. Low profile and not a typical setup. Excellent way to stay under the radar. Have the Feds identify the body in the backyard?" Olivia asked.

"It's Cassandra Sabatini. Agent Schimanski was able to confirm with DNA. The only person who could have had any motive was her husband. It'll be a case that won't have any definitive answers to, just assumptions," Elliot frowned.

"Poor Molly. She escapes that nightmare and ends up in an abusive situation which ends in her death," his partner shook her head.

"Not a happy story to be sure. How'd your day go?" He asked.

"I got a visit from Kathleen and Maureen before my appointment with Doctor Valentino," Olivia told him.

"Oh boy," Elliot said.

"The girls wanted to know my intentions, although to be fair, it was more Maureen," she said.

"And?" He was obviously nervous.

"I assuaged her fears, I think. Anyway, both girls promised to say nothing until the divorce was final. They don't want to rock the boat," Olivia smiled.

"Good. Cragen knows I'm sleeping on your couch, so I'll be using my time to start looking for a place, after Eli goes home on Sunday," Elliot told her.

"I'll help you look but before we get that far, lets order dinner," she said, getting up off the couch and grabbing some menus off the counter.

"Sounds fantastic. We can stay up late tonight," he smirked.

"Oh. Don't have to go to work tomorrow?" Olivia wondered as she walked back to the couch.

"Nope. Cragen gave us all the day off. The construction crew will be playing with the electricity anyway," Elliot said, taking the menus from her.

"Then we shall make the most of it," she smiled.

"But you said no hanky panky…" he frowned.

"No hanky panky – no taking any chances with your divorce. Apartment search and dinner out," Olivia said. Elliot gave her a look.

"Make out sessions if you're good," she teased. He chuckled and pulled her into his lap. They looked over the menus and decided what to eat.


	30. Chapter 30

Olivia strode back into the precinct three weeks later, marveling at the clean new changes and a little surprised that it was enough to make it difficult to discern where everything had taken place. It was more than a new coat of paint. There was better lighting, new furniture, which was also arranged differently than before, along with new décor. The windows were clean which surprised her how much sunlight came in.

"Baby girl!" Fin walked up behind her.

"Fin, how are you?" Olivia smiled.

"Good. You joining us today?" He wanted to know. Olivia reached onto her hip and pulled off her badge and Fin smiled.

"It's good to have you back. How are you doing?" He was concerned.

"I'm doing well. Those required sessions worked wonders," she told him.

"Glad to hear it. We're just busy breaking in the new computers today, unless we get a call. As you can imagine, without access to the network, we were handwriting a lot of forms at first. Munch managed to scrounge up a typewriter two weeks ago, which helped with the sorry ass handwriting confusion," Fin chuckled.

"I can't imagine trying to decipher Munch's handwriting," Olivia laughed.

"I see how it is. Finally back in the office and you had to let Fin lead you astray," the elder detective came up behind them.

"Oh Munch, you know how we like to tease you," she said as she turned to him.

"I know. It's good to see you Liv," Munch smiled.

"You'll be seeing a lot more of me. Tucker approved my reinstatement," Olivia smiled.

"That is excellent news. Where is your partner? He should be celebrating with us," the elder detective pointed out.

"Elliot must be still negotiating the traffic from his new place," she said.

"Didn't we move him in there last week?" Kenny came over to them. He'd just come out of the locker room and was glad to see Olivia.

"We did. Good to see you Kenny," she smiled.

"Glad to have you back," he smiled back.

"While we wait, why don't we show you your new desk? We didn't want to put your stuff out so it's all in the bottom drawer," Munch said as she slid over to the desk across from the one that had to be Elliot's – there were pictures of the Stabler kids on the new desk.

"Thanks guys. I appreciate you making sure they didn't throw out my stuff," she said, sitting down in her new chair and testing it out.

"Look what I found," Captain Cragen walked into the bullpen from the main doors. Behind him was Elliot and in his hands, he held a cake.

"We have to celebrate," he said.

"Might as well break in the new break room with the first cake," the Captain said. The others quickly dashed off to the new space, leaving Olivia with her commanding officer.

"How are you doing?" He wanted to know.

"Good. Really good," she smiled.

"Well if you need anything or something gets to you, you let me know. There is no shame in admitting you need help," Don said.

"Thanks Captain," Olivia said.

"Welcome back Liv," with that he headed for the break room. Olivia took a quick look around. It was good to be back.

**The End**


End file.
